5-Hit Truth Is Stranger Than Gallagher Fiction

BALTIMORE — To make his biography in the Angels’ media guide more impressive, reserve outfielder Dave Gallagher took some license with a few facts.

Despite his claims, he never was an All-American soccer player, and he certainly isn’t a member of the New Jersey Inventors’ Hall of Fame. There probably isn’t a New Jersey Inventors’ Hall of Fame.

But when next year’s media guide lists a five-hit day for Gallagher against the Baltimore Orioles, it will be truthful. Gallagher, who started in right field, had five singles in five at-bats against his former team and drove in three runs in the Angels’ 10-2 trouncing of the Orioles Sunday at Memorial Stadium.

The triumph gave the Angels a 7-3 record on their three-city, 10-game trip and made truth better than any fiction Gallagher might have concocted.

“I can remember all my five-hit games. Today was my first one,” said Gallagher, who raised his average to .393 on 11 hits in 28 at-bats. “It feels good. When you’re not contributing, playing twice in two weeks, you tend to think, ‘Am I part of this team or not?’ Maybe nobody else thinks that, but you do. It’s nice to get into a game, and it feels great to play in a game like this.”

The Angels have won nine of the 10 games in which Gallagher has appeared, losing only May 12 at Cleveland. Gallagher helped Kirk McCaskill (3-5) win for the first time since April 20, stroking a two-run single off Baltimore left-hander Jeff Ballard (2-6) to give the Angels a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Gallagher, who was acquired from the Orioles in December for two minor leaguers, fortified his confidence with that hit and ended an 0-for-11 stretch that began May 4.

“When I took batting practice--the second round of batting practice--I finally felt good at the plate. I started hitting the ball good and hitting it up the middle for the first time since spring training,” Gallagher said. “It carried over into the game. I can’t tell you how good it feels to be locked in and seeing the ball. I don’t go up there thinking, ‘I’ve got to get a hit.’ I can relax.”

The four-run first inning was set up by two errors on Luis Polonia’s leadoff pop fly: Second baseman Bill Ripken dropped it, then first baseman Randy Milligan’s throw to second base bounced away for another error. Wally Joyner extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a bunt single, and Polonia scored on Dave Winfield’s single to center.

Bobby Rose, playing second base, scored Joyner with a double to left, his first hit in five at-bats. Winfield and Rose scored on Gallagher’s single.

“Early on, that was an important hit for us,” Manager Doug Rader said of Gallagher’s effort. “I’m very happy for him. Wally’s bunt, Winny’s hit, Rosie’s hit--they were all big. We rested a lot of guys today and the other guys came through.”

McCaskill was through after 5 2/3 innings, to his dismay, but his disappointment over not lasting longer was outweighed by his relief at ending a four-game losing streak. He gave up four hits, walked three and struck out four to win his first game at Memorial Stadium since Aug. 24, 1986.

McCaskill’s victory was the first for an Angel right-handed starter since he defeated Minnesota, 2-1, on April 20. Since then, he and Scott Lewis were both 0-4, and left-handers Chuck Finley, Jim Abbott and Mark Langston were a combined 10-4.

“Scoring four in the first helps a lot, obviously, “ McCaskill said. “I felt like I threw the ball better. It’s pretty close to where I want to be. I kept the ball down as well as I have in the past year or so.

“I was just trying to make quality pitches, trying not to let things get away from me like I have in the past four, five games. I went, what, four losses in a row? I think it’s a springboard to getting on the right track.”

The first inning was a springboard for the Angels’ second game with double-digit run production in the past five. They added a run in the third inning, two in the sixth, two in the eighth and one in the ninth to write an encouraging end to a fruitful trip. They were 4 1/2 games out of first place when they left but begin a six-game home stand trailing Oakland by 2 1/2 games. The Angels are three games over .500 for the first time since April 21, when they were 8-5.

“If things keep up like this, we’re going to be there,” said Polonia, who was two for five to raise his average to .348. “The pitching has been good, the relievers have been incredible and we had some new guys who came in and did the job.”

Gallagher’s toughest job may be to convince people his five-hit game wasn’t a figment of his imagination.

“Did I tell you I had a five-goal game in soccer? And I only played the first five minutes of the game?” he said, smiling. “It was the year we won the state tournament. I was MVP. And I was playing goal, too.”