Brooks Lifts Angels Past the Rangers, 8-1

One glance at the damp subterranean reaches of Arlington Stadium made Hubie Brooks grimace at the dilapidated state of the Texas Rangers’ ballpark. But after his three-hit, five-RBI spree Tuesday, it is now his favorite playground.

Brooks hit a three-run home run and narrowly missed hitting two others during the Angels’ fourth consecutive victory, an 8-1 rout of the Rangers. One line drive landed barely to the left of the left-field foul pole, and Brooks’ ninth-inning drive struck the top of the left-field fence.

Brooks, acquired from the New York Mets during the winter for Dave Gallagher, is batting .353 as an American Leaguer. That includes a seven-game hitting streak, during which he has a team-leading nine RBIs.

“I’m still getting used to the league and everything,” said Brooks, who hit a first-pitch fastball from Jeff Robinson (1-1) over the left-field fence during the first inning. “I’m still trying to feel my way around, check it out, see what it feels like.”

After Joe Grahe held the potent Ranger lineup to four hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings and Chuck Crim finished up, the Angels felt they had achieved more than simply balancing their record at 4-4.

“Everybody thinks four games make a season when you’re losing,” said Gary Gaetti, who accounted for the Angels’ final run with an eighth-inning home run, his first of the season.

“That’s just natural. But I don’t think the way we played in those four games was normal. I don’t think those were really indicative of what kind of team we have. I like to think (the last two games) are more indicative of what this team can do.”

Jim Abbott and Bryan Harvey combined to shut out the Rangers Monday after Texas had scored 53 runs in its first seven games.

“I was a little uptight before this game, but I’ve taken a lot of pressure off myself by going out and getting a win against a quality team,” said Grahe, who gave up seven runs to the White Sox in five innings Thursday.

“I was kind of concerned that after facing Jimmy the Rangers would see me and say, ‘These guys must be pretty easy.’ But I had a good sinking fastball and the only times I got in trouble were when I was looking to hit a particular spot,” added Grahe, who retired 11 in a row from the second through sixth innings. “With the movement I had, I just had to let it go.”

Grahe was taken out of the game as a precaution after he was struck on the right middle finger by a line drive by pinch-hitter Geno Petralli during the seventh inning. Despite falling backward from the impact, Grahe caught the ball and threw to first to try to double up Dickie Thon, who had walked. Grahe’s throw went astray--but even that turned out well for the Angels.

Thon had taken a lead off first before Petralli’s liner, and he never went back to tag first before going to second on the throwing error. The Angels spotted that, and after Crim relieved Grahe, he threw to first for the appeal. First base umpire Don Denkinger called Thon out.

“I think everybody saw it,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said, “but it was easy to get lost in the confusion.”

After Texas cut the Angels’ lead to 3-1 during the second on a double and two groundouts, Gaetti led off the fourth inning with a single to left and scored on Bobby Rose’s double to left. Rose took third on a sacrifice and scored on Luis Polonia’s sacrifice fly to center.

Robinson was ejected for throwing near the head of the next batter, Junior Felix. Feeling that was in retaliation for Grahe having hit Rafael Palmeiro in the first inning, home plate umpire Tim Tschida asserted his authority.

“I didn’t want things to get out of control,” he said. “You can’t read their minds. Only (Robinson) knows if he threw at him, but he sure lost his control in a hurry.”

Just as Rodgers was in no hurry to condemn his team when it was 0-4, he was hesitant to say its problems had been solved by its longest winning streak since Sept. 6-9.

“I didn’t think it would be for a while,” Rodgers said of reaching .500, “but we’ve still got eight games left (on this trip). We’re not out of the woods yet. We’re still running into the woods.”