Rodgers Manages to Do All Right in Fenway : Angels: Mark Langston gets his 16th victory as the Red Sox fall flat, 2-0.

Manager Buck Rodgers succinctly explained his role in the outcome of a baseball game after the Angels’ 2-0 victory Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

“When you get good defense, good pitching and timely hitting, you look like a good manager,” Rodgers said.

He might not be far off.

Mark Langston took care of the strategy Tuesday night, pitching the Angels to victory over the Boston Red Sox. All Rodgers had to do--for once--was sit back and enjoy.

It was Langston’s third victory over Boston this season, a victory highlighted by Dave Parker’s 2,700th career hit, which drove in the winning run. Parker is 44th on the career hit list.

“It looks like we might have let another day slip by,” Red Sox Manager Joe Morgan said. “Their pitching was excellent. It was one of those nights we hit very few balls well. And when we did, they had no eyes at all.”

Langston (16-7) gave up four hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out three and walked two. Mark Eichhorn escaped a one-out jam with runners on second and third in the seventh and pitched a perfect eighth before Bryan Harvey finished for his 35th save in 38 chances.

Mike Gardiner (6-7), who had won his three previous starts, gave up six hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked two.

Gardiner did not pitch poorly but received little support.

The Angels took the lead in the fourth after Junior Felix singled, then stayed at first as left fielder Mike Greenwell made a jumping catch on Wally Joyner’s sinking liner. Dave Winfield singled him to second, and Felix scored on Parker’s double to right-center. Winfield scored when second baseman Jody Reed mishandled the throw for an error.

“The two older guys kind of set the pace for us,” Rodgers said. “Parker hustled for a double and kind of caused an errant throw to second, and Winfield was heads up and scored when the throw got away.”

Langston retired the first 11 batters before he walked Carlos Quintana and Greenwell doubled with two out in the fourth. Ellis Burks then grounded out.

Tony Pena singled with two out in the fifth for Boston’s only other hit in the first six innings. Burks opened the seventh with a single, Tom Brunansky doubled and Langston struck out Mo Vaughn before Eichhorn replaced him.

Eichhorn then retired two pinch-hitters--Phil Plantier grounded to shortstop and Jack Clark struck out.

“It’s do or die,” Clark said. “I took my swings. I took four swings. That’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t just want to tie the game. I wanted to put us ahead.”

But he could not even get the Red Sox on the scoreboard.