Blyleven Gives Angels a Break, 5-2

In each game he starts, Bert Blyleven takes to the mound the guile of 23 years’ experience.

What he has often lacked this season, though, is a breaking ball effective enough to offset his fastball and get him out of jams.

“The key to his whole game is for him to be consistent with it, because when he is, we can do so many things,” Angel catcher Ron Tingley said. “It changes your whole game plan. Today, he threw it anytime he wanted to for strikes, and that’s what made the difference.”

Blyleven’s breaking ball got him out of difficulty in the early going Sunday and sustained him through six innings, carrying the Angels to a 5-2 victory over the Orioles and bringing Blyleven his 287th victory.

Although Craig Lefferts pitched a complete game in his Baltimore debut, his effort was overshadowed by the four-hit performance by Blyleven (8-7) before 19,476 at Anaheim Stadium.

“He’s always been a real good competitor,” Cal Ripken Jr. said after Blyleven ended the Orioles’ seven-game winning streak and dropped them 1 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays. “His breaking ball still breaks as big and sharp as it ever did. Today, it kept everybody off stride. When his breaking ball is breaking like that and he’s throwing it for strikes, he’s tough.”

A two-run home run by Gary Gaetti during the first inning and a three-run homer by Chad Curtis during the fifth were all the Angels needed to defeat Lefferts.

“I got through the jitters quickly enough. I got two pitches up--it was really as simple as that,” said Lefferts, who was 13-9 with the San Diego Padres before being acquired for two minor leaguers. “I’m disappointed, after the team had been playing so well, but I’m excited to be here. I’m confident I’ll bounce back.”

After Gaetti’s homer--his third in 10 at-bats--gave the Angels a 2-0 lead, the Orioles came back to tie the score during the third. Chris Hoiles led off with his 17th homer of the season and 427th yielded by Blyleven, and Brady Anderson lined a one-out single to right-center field. He stole second and Randy Milligan walked, bringing up Mike Devereaux.

Blyleven pitched him down and in, a strategy Devereaux countered by lining a double between third baseman Damion Easley and the bag, scoring Anderson and sending Milligan to third. Glenn Davis worked the count to 3 and 2, a critical moment for Blyleven.

“Mainly, I just wanted to keep the club in the game,” Blyleven said. “I knew if they scored there it could be a big inning.”

A big breaking ball took care of that.

“When he’s got a good one, I’m not afraid to have him throw it with a 3-and-2 count,” Tingley said. “If he doesn’t have it, I’ve got to come in with a fastball, and the batter knows what’s coming. Davis was looking for a fastball and he swung at it, even though it wasn’t over the plate, and he couldn’t touch it.”

Ripken flied to left to end the inning, the Orioles’ last threat against Blyleven. “He’s a battler, a survivor,” Baltimore Manager Johnny Oates said.

Angel Manager Buck Rodgers agreed. “It’s remarkable, I think, when you look at a 41-year-old person with a rotator cuff injury coming back even to do the dishes, let alone to pitch in a major league game.”

Blyleven hasn’t been signed for 1993, but he isn’t concerned.

“I’m not really worried about next year. First, I want to finish this season strong,” he said.

Angel Attendance Sunday: 19,476 1991 (67 dates): 2,072,362 1992 (67 dates): 1,754,427 Decrease: 317,935 Average: 26,185