Unlikely Heroes Direct Angels Past Tigers, 8-6

The Angels chucked their recent method of operation Sunday, refusing to cave in to their usual pattern of wretched starting pitching and stagnant offense.

Even the bullpen closer came through against the Detroit Tigers in an 8-6 victory before 22,381 at Anaheim Stadium.

Think about those likely to yank the Angels out of their weekend doldrums and Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Chili Davis, Bo Jackson and Tim Salmon quickly come to mind.

Sunday’s heroes were a rookie pitcher, who worshipped the 1984 World Series champion Tigers, and two singles hitters who hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run fifth inning.

And let’s not forget the beleaguered closer, who fashioned his 10th save by keeping the major leagues’ leading home-run hitting team scoreless in 1 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Brian Anderson headed the roll call of unexpected performers, pitching 7 1/3 innings and limiting the Tigers to five hits and four runs with five strikeouts and four walks.

Offensive punch came with a two-run homer by shortstop Gary DiSarcina, only his third this season, and a solo homer by third baseman Spike Owen, his second. No one will ever confuse DiSarcina and Owen with Maris and Mantle--or even Chad Curtis and Rex Hudler--but the Angels were grateful nonetheless.

DiSarcina and Owen have combined to hit 51 homers in 5,784 career at-bats, so what were the odds they would hit consecutive homers?

Reliever Joe Grahe, who had a 12.27 earned-run average in his past four appearances before Sunday, held off the Tigers in the eighth and ninth and the Angels won for only the third time in their past 14 games.

Anderson took a three-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up consecutive homers to Chris Gomez and Travis Fryman. Anderson then was replaced by Mark Leiter, who allowed the Tigers to come within 7-6 before Grahe entered.

“The first couple of innings I just wasn’t myself,” said Anderson, making his second start since returning from a broken thumb suffered May 6. “But then I was able to get into a little groove. To be effective I have to be a little brash. And I was being passive.”

He probably went a little overboard in the sixth, hitting Fryman in the back with a fastball. Fryman took a few tentative steps toward the mound and Anderson walked to meet him. The dugouts and bullpens emptied but there was no rumble.

Later, Anderson (4-1) seemed emotionally torn about the incident. It fed his drive to stay aggressive, but he could see why Fryman was miffed.

“It helps get your adrenaline pumping,” Anderson said. “He wasn’t happy. If somebody hits me with a fastball in the back I’m going to be mad, too.”

Anderson kept rolling after that, faltering only when Gomez, a former All-American at Long Beach State, stepped to the plate with one out and the Angels ahead, 7-2, in the eighth.

That Gomez and then Fryman would homer figured. After all, it was the sixth time this season the Tigers have hit back-to-back homers. Besides, Detroit battered Angel pitching for 32 runs and 46 hits, including 14 doubles and 10 homers, in winning three of the four games.

By homering twice Sunday, the Tigers extended their homer streak to 19 consecutive games. The major league record is 25, set by the 1941 New York Yankees.

What’s more, the Tigers, who lead the majors with 93 homers, went into the game having scored 89 runs and batted .312 in 11 games this month.

Anderson seemed unfazed by it all, giving the Angels a rare standout performance by a starter.

“They kicked our tails for three days, so it’s good to come back and win one,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said.