Orioles Pin a 4-2 Defeat on Langston : Baseball: It is his second consecutive complete-game loss. Home runs by Cal Ripken Jr., Tackett fuel Baltimore.

Mark Langston threw 117 pitches Tuesday night, and most of them were good ones.

But with the Angels’ offense, mistakes must be kept to a precious few.

Langston gave up a two-run homer to Cal Ripken Jr. and a home run to rookie catcher Jeff Tackett, and Baltimore scored a 4-2 victory over the Angels before 20,064 at Anaheim Stadium.

It was the Angels’ 12th loss in 14 games, and it was the second consecutive complete-game loss for Langston (5-3).

Ripken hit his seventh homer of the season on a sinker that didn’t sink, giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead during the first inning.

“It was a mistake over the plate to Cal Ripken, and you can’t make that mistake with Ripken,” Langston said.

The Angels had fallen behind early again. But this time, at least they came back.

“I was proud of the fact we came back,” said interim Manager John Wathan, otherwise largely at a loss for words over the offense’s continuing slump.

The Angels, trailing, 2-1, during the third, tied the score when Hubie Brooks hit a line drive through the middle of the infield with two out and Chad Curtis on second base. The ball hit second base on the fly and bounced into shallow left. Ripken gave chase and slid to recover it, but Curtis scored easily for a 2-2 tie.

The run batted in was Brooks’ second of the game--he also drove Curtis in from second with a single during the first inning--and marked the first time Brooks, the Angels’ designated hitter, has had more than one RBI in a game since April 30. He hadn’t had more than one at home since April 24.

Langston appreciated the support, meager as it was, but felt he wasted it.

Baltimore went back ahead, 3-2, during the fourth, courtesy of a player the Angels discarded in 1990. Mark McLemore singled to center, took second on a groundout, stole third and scored on Bill Ripken’s sacrifice fly.

“I feel bad because the team battled back after two quick runs, and I wasn’t able to hold it,” Langston said.

It was a rare reprieve, and he didn’t make it stick.

“I don’t put added pressure on myself (because of the team’s poor offense), but I’ve got to keep holding them,” he said. “To go right back out and give up another run is not what you have to do.”

Langston gave up a second home run during the seventh inning, when backup catcher Tackett, a rookie from Camarillo, put the Orioles ahead, 4-2, with a homer to left.

Tackett has four hits in 13 at-bats this season. But three of the four hits are homers, and two--including another May 23 at Baltimore--have been against Langston.

“The mistake to the catcher was a very big mistake,” Langston said.

Langston gave up four runs and 10 hits, striking out six and walking one. In his last start he had ended a five-victory streak with a complete-game, 2-1 loss against Boston.

Oriole starter Mike Mussina, who opened the season 5-0, was making his first appearance in 13 days after skipping a start and suffering a stomach ailment for more than a week. Mussina lost about 10 pounds during the illness and has only gained about five back.

Mussina (6-1) went five innings against the Angels, and it was enough for the victory. He left with a 3-2 lead after giving up five hits.

Todd Frohwirth relieved Mussina and pitched three innings, giving up one hit before Gregg Olson pitched the ninth for his 13th save.

The Angels took their only solace in Brooks’ two RBIs.

Brooks, who has had a few starts at first base recently, seems to have recovered his stroke somewhat. During Monday’s game, he had a double that marked his first extra-base hit since May 19.

“Hopefully, that’s the start of something,” Wathan said. “We’re sorely in need of it.

Wathan, formerly the manager of the Royals, is feeling the frustration of the Angels.

“I had a lot of difficult time in Kansas City, with injuries and all,” he said. “This is one of the worst stretches I’ve ever seen. You think every day it’s going to be over, but you come back the next day and you’re still not scoring runs.

“You can’t really scream at them when they’re not hitting. You can’t throw food at them. . . . “

You can’t, he says, figure out what to do.