Orioles in Control Against Finley, 13-1

Angel Manager Buck Rodgers thought he figured out the reason Chuck Finley was struggling, and it didn’t take much to come to his conclusion.

“When Chuck gets behind, they sit on his fastball,” he said. And when you’re always 2-0 and 3-1 in the count, I don’t care if you’re Sandy Koufax, it’s pretty hard to pitch.

“And so far, he’s just had one bad inning that’s hurt him.”

Well, Rodgers’ theory proved partially right Wednesday night as the Baltimore Orioles scored four runs in the sixth en route to an 13-1 victory before 20,569 at Anaheim Stadium.

The lopsided victory wasn’t because Finley lacked control.

Making his 200th career start in a light misting rain, Finley struck out seven and walked only one. But he gave up three home runs, the most he has allowed in a year. The Yankees hit four homers against Finley last April 27.

“Anyone who doesn’t understand what the count means to hitters, doesn’t understand this game,” Rodgers said.

On this evening, the Orioles either didn’t get it or didn’t care. Mike Devereaux hit a solo homer in the fourth on a 1-2 pitch. Rafael Palmiero hit one over the 386-foot sign in right-center in the sixth on 2-1 pitch. And Chris Hoiles’ two-run shot two batters later came off Finley’s first delivery.

“I thought we had a pretty good ballgame going through five,” Rodgers said. “How mistaken I was.”

Baltimore got a club-record 11 extra-base hits. In Finley’s previous three starts, the Angels lost by one run. This time, that wasn’t likely after the sixth.

“I felt pretty good about the way he was pitching,” Rodgers said. “He was getting ahead of guys and had made 20 or 25 fewer pitches in the early innings than he had been. He was going along good and then . . .”

Is Rodgers concerned?

“I think it’s time to sit down and talk about some things, to look at some film,” he said. “We need to talk about how he feels, go over the thought process involved.”

The game was out of reach--and nearly out of control--in the seventh inning when reliever Scott Lewis gave up a single to Jeff Hammonds, a double to Palmiero and a three-run homer to Cal Ripken. Lewis was gone before he got an out, and before Rodgers had a chance to make a pitching change. Lewis hit Hoiles in the helmet with an 0-2 fastball and was ejected. Hoiles appeared unfazed and jumped to his feet, but both benches and bullpens emptied.

Maybe the turf was too soggy, but the usual rugby scrum/wrestling match never materialized and the Angels went quietly into the damp night, still clinging to a share of first place in the American League West with a 9-13 record.

The Orioles put together three consecutive doubles with two outs in the eighth inning and handed Ben McDonald a big advantage. They made it a 12-run lead in the ninth when Brady Anderson hit his third homer in two games--on a 2-2 delivery by Joe Grahe.

McDonald, who became the first pitcher in the American League to earn his fifth victory, allowed the first runner he faced to score, and yielded four hits in the first three innings. But he settled down and gave up only two runners in the next three innings. He retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh innings.

Finley, who apparently was trying to follow Rodgers’ advice, jumped ahead of each hitter in the first inning but still managed to prove he’s his own worst enemy. He had leadoff hitter Anderson 0-2 before giving up a single to right. Anderson stole second and ended up on third when Finley’s errant pickoff throw went into center field.

Finley, who was the victim when Billy Hatcher stole home Friday night in Boston, was pitching from the stretch this time, but Ripken’s bloop single put the Orioles ahead, 1-0.

The Angels quickly evened the score in the first. Damion Easley led off with a double to left-center, advanced to third and then scored when Dwight Smith and Tim Salmon grounded to second.

It was their last outburst.