Fans Get Wishes Granted as Angels Beat Dodgers, 5-2 : Baseball: The crowd of 47,735 at Anaheim Stadium gets to see Bo Jackson hit a long homer and rookie Park pitch.

The 47,735 Angel and Dodger fans at Anaheim Stadium Saturday night probably showed up for a number of reasons--booing Darryl Strawberry apparently high on the list for both sides--but those who came hoping to see Bo Jackson hit a baseball a long way and Dodger rookie Chan Ho Park pitch were not disappointed.

The fans weren’t the only ones ready for a Jackson blast. When he connected with the first delivery from Tom Candiotti in the second inning of the Angels’ 5-2 exhibition victory, the fireworks were exploding beyond right field before the ball landed in the second deck in right-center.

It wasn’t merely a lucky guess, however. Jackson’s towering drive came down an estimated 449 feet from home plate. It was his sixth homer of the spring, three times as many as any of his teammates.

The Angels managed three unearned runs against Park and beat the Dodgers for the second night in a row to take a 2-0 lead in the Freeway Series.

“This area has been Dodgertown for a long time,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said, “and we’ve been the crap around here since I caught in that 1962 Freeway Series. So it’s nice to get a little respect.”

Park’s Southern California debut was an auspicious one for one inning, anyway. In the fourth inning, he got 1993 rookie of the year Tim Salmon to fly to right, struck out designated hitter Chili Davis on a high fastball and then caught Jackson looking at a change-up.

But, in the fifth, Eduardo Perez reached first when third baseman Dave Hansen bobbled his grounder. Perez then stole second. Park walked Chris Turner, and utility infielder Rex Hudler lined a single to right to score Perez. Gary DiSarcina bunted the runners to second and third.

Chad Curtis drove in the second run of the inning with a grounder to second and then Park, who was called for six balks in 23 innings this spring, got No. 7 when Hudler came dancing 20 feet down the line from third base.

“I’m glad that these things are happening during exhibition games,” Park said through his interpreter. “I’m learning quite a bit from these happenings. I’ve balked with men on first, second, and tonight on third, so there isn’t much to accomplish.”

Park may have been in the spotlight on this evening, but the Angel staff has been on the spot much of the spring. The Angels entered the game yielding an average of eight runs per game and opponents were batting .334.

But, for the second night in a row, the pitchers looked as if they really could be efficient enough to allow the Angels to contend for the pennant in the realigned American League West.

“We’re starting to round into shape a little, especially the bullpen,” Rodgers said. “I hope we’re getting our act together at the right time. For the first three or four weeks, it was pretty ugly down there (in Tempe).”

Saturday night’s performance was almost as impressive as Friday night’s shutout. And for the Angels, who are 9-19 this spring, it was their fifth victory in the last seven games.

Chuck Finley started and gave up three hits, including a home run to center by rookie Raul Mondesi. But he struck out four, gave up only one walk and generally appeared to have command of his pitches.

Phil Leftwich, who will be the fourth starter, worked a perfect three innings after Finley, striking out two to pick up the victory.

“We stretched our starters out a little,” Rodgers said, “and this was a good tuneup for both Finley and Leftwich. I think our arms are coming out of the dead stage now and we’re peaking at the right time.”

Mike Butcher, who has struggled and recently been demoted to a middle relief role by Rodgers, pitched the seventh inning. He made one mistake and Strawberry--getting a measure of revenge on the boo-birds and even eliciting a smattering of applause--muscled it into the right field bullpen beyond the reach of a leaping Salmon.

The Angels responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a single by Turner and a run-scoring double by Curtis to regain their three-run advantage.

Then Craig Lefferts, who needed only nine pitches to retire the Dodgers in order in the eighth, and Bill Sampen, who is recovering from a bicep injury and worked a 1-2-3 ninth, did their jobs.

And the guy with the fireworks did his again.