Key for Yankees Is Pitching : Baseball: They beat the Angels, 3-2, behind his six-hit, six-strikeout performance. Polonia lashes out at the umpiring.

The anger in Angel Manager Buck Rodgers started to seep into his voice Friday night after the New York Yankees’ 3-2 victory at Anaheim Stadium, but he was careful in his criticism of the umpiring.

Angel starter Mark Langston unleashed his rage by yelling at Yankee right fielder Danny Tartabull, who stood at home plate admiring his game-winning, eighth-inning home run, but remained diplomatic afterward.

Leave it to Angel leadoff hitter Luis Polonia to unleash his frustration. There was no holding back. He allowed all of his feelings to tumble out freely.

Sure, Yankee starter Jimmy Key (11-2, 2.31 earned-run average) is one of the finest pitchers in all of baseball, Polonia conceded. Yes, the way Polonia has been swinging, it’s not as if Key has been the only pitcher to make him look foolish.

But if there’s anyone to blame in all of this, Polonia said, seething, it has been this year’s umpiring. On this night, in particular, home plate umpire Tim Welke drew the wrath of the Angels.

The Angels claim there is a problem when five of Key’s six strikeouts are called, and according to Polonia, Welke actually admitted to not even seeing two of the called strikes in Polonia’s second plate appearance.

“I’m telling the truth,” Polonia said. “He called two pitches strikes and says he didn’t even see them. Come on, if you don’t see a pitch, why call it a strike?

“This umpiring is beautiful, isn’t it? It’s been terrible all season. They want to make the game short, so they call everything a strike. Somebody has to take care of them. They’re just making it worse. If they want to go home early, go home, and let someone else do the job.

“I mean, Key is hard enough to hit when he throws a strike, but every pitch he throws is outside, and they call it strikes. Jimmy Key is not stupid. He knows what they give him, and he takes it.

“Just give him the game, why don’t you?”

Although Welke already had left the stadium and was unavailable for comment, Polonia insisted he admitted to not seeing two pitches in his second at-bat, in which Polonia grounded out.

First pitch: “It was inside,” Polonia said. “The umpire says ‘strike,’ and then says, ‘Damn, I didn’t even see it.’ ”

Second pitch: Down and away. Ball.

Third pitch: “Down and away,” Polonia said. “The umpire calls it a strike. And says, ‘Another pitch I didn’t see.’ ”

“Hey, it’s going to be the old Luis Polonia (in the) the second half,” he said. “I’m swinging at everything.”

Key, who has stifled the Angels twice this season, pitching a one-hitter in April and a six-hitter Friday, also drew Rodgers’ criticism.

“You’re in the hands of the Philistines,” Rodgers said. “It’s a helpless feeling. . . . He’s got the reputation of hitting the corners and (the plate) gets wider.”

Langston, who is winless in his last four starts, should have shared the same benefits of Key. Langston also pitched a complete game, but the Yankees had 12 hits, including Tartabull’s monstrous eighth-inning homer.

With the score tied, 2-2, Tartabull led off the eighth inning by hitting a fastball deep into the Angel bullpen. He stood at home plate, admiring the blast, never hearing Langston scream: “Run the bases.”

“I was just looking at my shot, kind of enjoying it,” said Tartabull, who is hitting .364 with three home runs against his former Seattle Mariner teammate. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just love hitting here.

“Man, could you imagine what I could do if I played 81 games here?”

Said Langston, who threw 140 pitches: “Danny’s a good guy. He plays hard and he’s got a lot of talent. Coming up through the minor leagues, I’ve seen him get in streaks where there’s nobody in the game better.

“He can carry a team, a long, long way.”