Finley Hangs Around for Victory No. 12

The ball rose high over the Anaheim Stadium infield, and Chuck Finley spread his long arms wide.

It was body language: Keep clear, this is mine.

Donnie Hill, playing first base for the second time this season, drifted over and called for the fourth-inning pop himself, but Finley didn’t budge.

That baseball might as well have been the game itself--this one or any other Finley pitches. It belongs to him, and anyone else had best steer clear.

Finley made the catch on Luis Sojo’s pop-up for the third out of the fourth inning, stranding runners on first and third after the Angel pitcher had given up his second run Sunday against Toronto.

As Finley made the catch, Hill bumped him, sending Finley to the grass, ball in hand.

When he came up, he spiked the ball. And he spiked it hard.

Steer clear.

“Him being 6-6 and me being 4-2, he gets it,” joked Hill, who is actually 5-10.

Him being Finley, more often than not gets what he’s after.

He was after his 12th victory of the season Sunday, as was Dave Stieb, whose 11-3 record is among baseball’s best.

Finley gave up 10 hits.

Stieb gave up four, and left in the seventh inning.

Finley was still around to win the game, 3-2, when Johnny Ray’s ninth-inning hit drove in Luis Polonia for the Angels’ second ninth-inning triumph in two days.

There are many days when Finley (12-4) ought to win--he is one of the best left-handers in the American League. But there are days when he is not at his best--and still wins.

Sunday was one of those.

“I wasn’t really on today,” Finley said. “I decided to hang around with what I had. You can get out of there or you can stick around with what you’ve got. I’m glad I stuck around.”

He gave up a run in the second inning on a rare play--a run-scoring, inning-ending double play. Fred McGriff scored from third on Manny Lee’s grounder to second. The Angels got the first half of the double play at first, but McGriff scored before they caught Pat Borders in a rundown for the final out.

Finley loaded the bases with one out in the third inning on a double, a single and a walk.

And he got out of it.

He struck out Kelly Gruber, hitting .289 with 20 home runs. He was left with Fred McGriff, hitting .276 with 20 homers. McGriff flied out.

Finley allowed a run in the fourth inning on two singles and what should have been a groundout by Kenny Williams, but instead was an error by third baseman Jack Howell, allowing Williams to reach safely. Finley got Mookie Wilson to fly to center, but it was deep enough for the man at second, Lee, to tag and take third.

And then came the pop-up.

“I was feeling a little frustrated at that point,” Finley said. “I wasn’t pitching well at the time, and I thought to myself, what next?”

What next? He settled in.

He faced three batters in the fifth inning, three in the sixth, four in the seventh and three in the eighth.

“To pitch out of the innings he did, then dominate the next five innings and pitch out of one again in the ninth says a lot about the man,” Manager Doug Rader said.

Finley gave up back-to-back singles to open the ninth inning, with the score tied, 2-2. Then foul pop, fly ball, grounder and he was out.

Win No. 12 waited only on Ray’s RBI single. Only Bob Welch, Frank Viola and Roger Clemens have more in all of baseball.

“It’s not an easy way to pitch, but I feel comfortable that way,” Finley said. “Seems like a few of ‘em came pretty hard.”