Angels’ Young Guns Are No Match for a Masterful Key

ANAHEIM — The Angels hit the wall Tuesday night.

After landing enough haymakers to make losers of the Boston Red Sox’s Frank Viola, John Dopson and Roger Clemens on successive nights, the Angel bats finally fell silent against Jimmy Key.

The New York Yankee left-hander halted the Angels’ six-game winning streak with a one-hit, 5-0 victory in front of an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 24,261 that included George Steinbrenner. It was the first time this season the Angels have been shut out.

Gary DiSarcina’s leadoff single to center in the sixth inning, a walk to Tim Salmon in the seventh and Key’s two-base throwing error in the fourth that allowed Salmon to reach second base were the only blemishes on a nearly flawless night for Key.

It figured to take something extra to slow the Angels’ momentum, and Key was masterful right from the start.

“After about the second inning, I felt really good,” said Key, who had eight strikeouts in lowering his earned-run average to 0.93.

“When I get locked in, I usually stay locked in.”

He was so good, the Yankees could have given left-fielder Randy Velarde the night off. The Angels, constantly battling just to get a piece of Key’s pitches, never hit a ball in Velarde’s direction.

DiSarcina’s hit was a line drive to medium-depth center.

“The hit was a little sinker that he got up,” DiSarcina said. “I hit it good, but not clean. It wasn’t on the fat of the bat. Good pitching is going to beat you now and then. He was truly at the top of his game tonight.

“I didn’t think I would have the only hit off him tonight. We kept thinking, ‘We’ll get him next inning, next inning.’ But he was great.”

The Angels are the latest American League team to find that Key (3-0) is almost impossible to hit. He had a 23-inning scoreless streak ended by Oakland’s Rickey Henderson in his last start last Wednesday--a no-decision that the Yankees went on to win, 5-3. And Key has given up only four earned runs in 38 2/3 innings.

Key was impressed by the Angels’ young hitters, though he admitted he knew little about them.

“I would say they were pretty patient,” Key said. “Salmon took a lot of pitches at the plate. (J.T.) Snow was the same way. In a situation like that I was trying to stay with what I do best. I haven’t seen those guys before.”

In addition to reaching on the error and the walk, Salmon grounded out and struck out to end the game. Snow, batting .386 to start the game, was 0 for 3.

Key realized he had a no-hitter going after the fifth inning, but said he wasn’t about to do anything different.

“At that point we had a 3-0 lead I was trying to preserve,” Key said. “I never think I have no-hit stuff, so I wasn’t thinking no-hitter. I was just trying to get people out.”