Langston Lets 3-Run Lead Slip Away

Nothing has come easy this season for the Angels, who had to go to extra innings Friday for the second consecutive game.

The Angels and Milwaukee Brewers were tied, at 4-4, after 12 innings, as Angel starter Mark Langston had a season-high nine strikeouts but was unable to hold the 4-1 lead he took into the eighth inning.

Home runs accounted for all four runs scored by the Angels. Chili Davis’ two-run drive to right in the third and home runs by Dave Winfield and Lance Parrish in the fourth were the highlights of the Angels’ offense, and only one other batter reached second against Milwaukee starter Chris Bosio. That was Johnny Ray, who singled in the second and moved into scoring position when Parrish walked behind him. He was stranded when Rich Schu struck out.

Winfield’s home run was the 361st of his career, tying him with Atlanta’s Dale Murphy and Joe DiMaggio, for 35th on the all-time home run list.

Langston’s lead was cut to 4-3 before he was taken out of the game. Pinch-hitter Mike Felder led off with a walk and moved to third on Gary Sheffield’s double down the left-field line. Robin Yount drove in both runners when he chopped a single into short left.

Mark Eichorn relieved Langston, but Milwaukee kept the inning alive when Dave Parker hit a grounder to first baseman Wally Joyner, whose throw hit Yount in the back of the head. The error put runners on first and second with one out.Rob Deer forced Parker at second, with Yount moving to third, and Yount scored the tying run on Glenn Braggs’ single to right.

Greg Vaughn walked, loading the bases, but Charlie O’Brien grounded into a force play that ended an agonizing inning for the Angels.

Milwaukee threatened in the top of the 10th against Willie Fraser, the third Angel pitcher, Parker stroked a one-out single to center and was removed in favor of pinch-runner Darryl Hamilton. Deer lined a double to left that sent Hamilton to third, and the Angels walked Braggs intentionally. Bill Spiers played into the Angels’ hands by striking out and shortstop Gary DiSarcina preserved the tie by running all-out and snaring O’Brien’s liner before falling face-first onto the grass in shallow left.

Langston was in fine form in the early going, matching his season high by recording his seventh strikeout before the game was four innings old. Although the suspense of a no-hitter was dispelled with one out in the fourth inning, well short of the 5 1/3 perfect innings he pitched in Toronto last Sunday, his strikeout pace created a different element of suspense for the fans at Anaheim Stadium.

The Angels gave Langston two runs to work with in the third. Devon White singled for the second consecutive at-bat and Davis followed with a home run into the terrace seats in right field, his fourth home run of the season and first since May 8. It was measured at 378 feet.

Despite striking out two Brewers in the fourth, Langston had control problems that brought pitching coach Marcel Lachemann to the mound for a conference. Langston fired a third strike past Sheffield but yielded a single to Yount. He got Parker to take a third strike but walked Deer and Braggs to load the bases. Lachemann then walked out to talk to Langston, and Langston responded by getting Vaughn to hit a fly-ball out to shallow right.

Deer jarred Langston out of the groove in the seventh with a looping single to right. It became dangerous only when left fielder Davis tried to backhand the ball on one hop and instead allowed it to roll to the fence. Deer advanced to third, and scored from there on Braggs’ grounder to first to cut the Angels’ lead to 4-1.

Angel Notes

Dave Winfield, who established a charitable foundation in his name while he played for the New York Yankees, said he’s interested in becoming involved in similar activities here. One program he’s considering is a substance abuse prevention campaign for elementary-school age children. “It augments what they teach in school,” Winfield said. “It’s ‘Don’t just say no.’ It gives positive alternatives and trains adolescents to feel positive about themselves.”

Catcher Bill Schroeder caught five innings at Class-A Palm Springs and reported no problem with his surgically repaired right elbow. Schroeder, who was 0 for 1 with a walk, is scheduled to catch there again today.

Donnle Hill (bruised left knee) didn’t start Friday but was available. Hill injured the knee last Saturday in Toronto and reinjured it Wednesday. A magnetic resonance imaging test was normal. . . . Greg Minton (right elbow surgery) threw off the mound for the first time Friday for three to five minutes and had no pain. . . . Jack Howell (sprained left knee) has shown some improvements, but Bob McClure (left elbow soreness) has not, according to trainer Ned Bergert. Kent Anderson (sprained high shoulder) is about the same.

Dick Schofield (strained hamstring) took ground balls and moved laterally without mishap. . . . Second baseman Johnny Ray extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games with a second-inning single.