Grahe Gets Past Pattern but Not A’s

Joe Grahe was pitching, so pardon us, but experience indicated it was a good idea to get to your seats early Sunday.

The first time Grahe started for the Angels this season, against Milwaukee in June, he allowed seven runs without an out. The second time, last Monday against Minnesota, the Twins scored five runs in the time it took to get from the parking lot to your seat.

So when Grahe took the mound against Oakland on Sunday afternoon and gave up a leadoff double to Willie Wilson, people moved uneasily in their seats.

It couldn’t happen again, they thought. Not after the way Grahe had pitched the rest of his most recent start, going seven innings and allowing only four more hits.

It was a pattern that could have turned into a monumental psychological barrier for Grahe. It didn’t.

“It’s only a psychological barrier for people who are not psychologically strong, and he’s a tough kid,” said Marcel Lachemann, the Angel pitching coach.

The pattern was broken Sunday. After Wilson’s double, Grahe turned his attention to Dave Henderson and struck him out.

“I thought I made a pretty decent pitch to Willie Wilson, and he dumped a double down the line,” Grahe said. “I said, ‘This is not going to happen again today.’ Obviously, I said that to myself before. Then I was able to strike out Henderson. I said, ‘Gee, only one guy this time.’ Everything worked out after that.”

Well, not quite everything .

Grahe was the losing pitcher in Oakland’s 3-2 victory, but only because of Luis Polonia’s misplay of a fly ball to left in the fifth inning. Grahe had a 2-0 lead, but with two outs and runners on first and second, Wilson drove a ball to left. Polonia came in on it, then realized his mistake and leaped in a futile attempt to catch it.

Two runs scored, and Wilson stood on third. Minutes later, he came home on Grahe’s wild pitch.

But for the gaffe, Grahe might have had his first victory as a starter instead of his third loss.

“That’s just the way it goes,” Grahe said, seemingly not upset with Polonia. “(Wilson) hit a line drive and the ball rose up a little. (Polonia) makes diving plays.”

This just wasn’t one of them.

“We should have won the game, 2-0,” Polonia said. “I made a mistake that cost us the ballgame.”

Grahe doesn’t have the victory, but he feels he’s over the hump. For now, he’s the Angels’ fifth starter, with the backing of Lachemann and Manager Doug Rader.

“He pitched outstanding today,” Rader said. “I know it’s getting repetitive, I say it every day, damn near, but he should have won, he pitched good enough, etc., etc. I apologize for the reiteration.

“Joe Grahe deserved to win. He pitched a really fine game.”