Anderson, Tigers Avoid Parrish, but Others Come Through

Detroit Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson was surveying the Angel lineup before Thursday night’s game when he came upon the most pleasant of surprises.

“Polonia, Hill, Joyner, Winfield, Davis, White--no Parrish!” Anderson said, his eyes lighting up like a guy who had just found a $20 bill in his coat pocket.

Angel Manager Doug Rader had given catcher Lance Parrish, who had gone 20 for 61 (.328) with six home runs and 14 RBIs in the past 18 games, including two homers against Detroit last weekend, a well-deserved night off.

John Orton, he of the .161 average, would do the catching for the Angels, and Anderson, for obvious reasons, seemed tickled by the substitution.

“I don’t care if Orton hits three home runs--The Lancer isn’t playing,” Anderson said. “Oh, man, he’s swinging the bat good.”

Anderson, however, apparently misjudged the rest of the Angels. Parrish may have been carrying the team lately, but the Angels didn’t need any piggyback ride Thursday night as they rapped out 10 hits, including two homers, in a 6-4 victory in Anaheim Stadium.

Dave Winfield and Jack Howell each hit two-run home runs, and Wally Joyner and Luis Polonia each had two hits to pace the Angel attack. By the third inning, everyone in the Angel lineup except shortstop Dick Schofield had a hit.

“You can never get enough of those home runs,” Rader said. “Unfortunately, we’re not the type of team that puts together five hits in one inning. We’re not going to score five runs the traditional way, so we’re going to have to do it with the home run. It seems like when we stop hitting them over the wall, we go into a slump.”

Howell, who curled his home run around the right-field foul pole in the second inning, hopes the hit will help him break out of a slump in which he has batted .103 (3 for 29) since returning from the disabled list two weeks ago.

“The most important thing is trying to get my stroke going, and things should fall back in place,” said Howell, who hadn’t hit a home run in Anaheim Stadium this season until Thursday. “The homer was a nice touch, but I want to get back into getting the ball in play.”

Polonia, who has played in seven of the Angels’ past 11 games, has grown quite comfortable in the leadoff spot. He is 8 for 17 (.471) in his past four games as the leadoff hitter.

“I feel a lot better now,” said Polonia, one of several Angel outfielders battling for playing time. “They realize I should be playing more, and I’m glad they do. I think they trust me defensively and offensively, and that makes me feel good.”

Polonia, who singled, stole second and scored on Donnie Hill’s double in the second inning, believes he can help the Angels score those “traditional” runs Rader was talking about.

“You’re not going to win just by hitting home runs,” he said. “It’s better to hit them with two guys on. We little guys have to set the table for the big guys.