Finley Good Enough, Joyner Grand in Angels’ 7-3 Victory

For a pitcher to win when his fastball blazes and his curveball snaps is difficult enough.

For him to win when his fastball wanders and his curveball won’t bend is a real accomplishment, a triumph of guile and grit.

The reading on Chuck Finley’s fastball Sunday may not have been exceptional, but the reading on his spirit in the Angels’ 7-3 decision over Milwaukee was impressive.

Although he didn’t have his best stuff, he persevered through 8 1/3 innings and kept the Angels in a game that was close until Wally Joyner’s seventh-inning grand slam lifted them to their seventh consecutive victory--the longest current winning streak in the major leagues.

The Angels have won nine of their last 10.

“I didn’t have nothing when I left the bullpen, and it was either try and figure out something or try to go all out,” said Finley, who has won four games in a row to improve his record to 7-2. “I think it’s more a matter of luck than anything. I threw a couple over the plate early and they swung at ‘em. A lot of times today I got behind 2 and 0, then I’d make one good pitch and they’d swing and pop it up or something.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea how to (win without his best stuff). Doing it might be a different story.”

The story had a happy ending for Finley and the Angels because the offense continued to provide timely hits sprinkled among displays of power.

Lance Parrish’s seventh home run of the season staked Finley to a 2-0 lead after two innings, and even after Milwaukee matched that in the fourth on a double, a single by Robin Yount--followed by a wild throw by center fielder Devon White--and Dave Parker’s infield hit, the Angels never doubted their resiliency, both in that situation and in the season.

“If you panic, you’re going to stay right there,” said Chili Davis, who had singled ahead of Parrish’s home run for his fifth consecutive hit over three games. “If you don’t panic, it’ll come. You have to get in a groove, and once you get to that stage, you hang on as long as you can.”

Johnny Ray’s home run off Brewer right-hander Bill Wegman (2-2) with two out in the fifth re-established the Angels’ lead, a margin Finley was hard-pressed to protect in the sixth. Yount reached on an error by Gary DiSarcina and moved into scoring position when Parker beat out an infield hit, but Finley managed to retire Glenn Braggs on a fly to center.

He finally ran out of luck in the ninth, giving up a run before Mark Eichhorn came in to get the last two outs. “It was basically like batting practice for them,” Finley said.

Despite that, Parrish was still impressed.

“At this point, you could say he’s one of the best pitchers in the game, no two ways about it,” said Parrish, who has caught seven of Finley’s nine starts this season. “He’s been very consistent for this ballclub since I’ve been here and this year, except that game (a shelling May 3) in Seattle. It seems like we’re in a slump or not winning and we look to Chuck to get us back on the winning side of things.”

Or to keep them there, now that their offense has shaken off its early-season slumber. In sending the AL East-leading Brewers to their fifth consecutive loss, the Angels reached double figures in hits for the second game in a row.

Joyner’s second career grand slam, hit off Tony Fossas, got them into double digits and ensured they’d move within a game of .500 (22-23) for the first time since May 8.

“The majority of the ballplayers, if not all the guys, are having pretty good at-bats against the pitcher every time up,” Joyner said after the Angels completed their first sweep of a three-game series this season. “Devon White is taking more pitches, being more patient. Chili Davis, Johnny Ray, Lance Parrish--whenever you have four or more players doing that well, you’re going to have a good chance to win the ballgame.”

Besides giving themselves a better chance to win, their hitting resurgence has created enough enthusiasm to overshadow the 9 1/2-game deficit they face in the standings.

“We’re swinging the bats better and everybody’s taken a new attitude,” Parrish said. “When we go on the field, it’s very similar to last year--we knew we were going to play well, and if one guy didn’t get a hit, someone else would. It’s just a good feeling around the clubhouse.”

Finley was torn between feeling good about lasting so long on so little ammunition and being disappointed about not completing the game. He’s had only one complete game this season, a 6-0 victory over Baltimore May 8.

Sunday, he was consoled by knowing that even if he didn’t go the distance, his team did.

“You get that close to the end, without your best stuff, and you look up and see you’re two outs away from finishing the game, well, that would have been pretty special,” he said. “I have to separate a complete game from winning. The bottom line is winning. I was very fortunate to get as far as I did. . . . It would have been nice. You always go out there to go nine. I know I won’t finish the season with just one complete game.”

Angel Notes

Not only do the Angels have their first seven-game winning streak of the season, they’ll have their first Kangaroo Court, with the dishonorable Bert Blyleven presiding. The mock court was a popular feature last season, but the Angels’ early struggles this season left them little time for frivolity. Their turnaround has inspired Blyleven to rule on “infractions” committed by his teammates and levy fines that will go into a fund. “I’m here to make sure the guilty are found guilty and the innocent are also found guilty,” said Blyleven, who will don his judicial robes after batting practice on Tuesday. “We’ve got quite a lot of cases and quite a lot of money going toward a team party.”

With Blyleven going the distance in Saturday night’s 10-3 victory, had Chuck Finley been able to complete Sunday’s start, the Angels would have had back-to-back complete games for the first time this season and first since last Aug. 2 and 3, when Blyleven and Kirk McCaskill recorded victories over Seattle.

ANGELS ATTENDANCE

Sunday 35,466

1990 (23 dates) 745,241

1989 (23 dates) 666,677

Increase 78,564

Average 32,402