Without Chili, Angels Aren’t So Hot in Loss

The Angels hit the long ball Wednesday night. They played their usual errorless game. They got more than adequate starting pitching.

But there was something missing in their 6-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals before an announced crowd of 15,553 in Anaheim Stadium, something along the lines of a clutch hit late in the game, a guy who makes opposing managers cringe when he steps into the on-deck circle, someone like . . . Chili Davis.

The Angel designated hitter went on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday because of a strained left hamstring and the Angels miss him already.

Just don’t remind Manager Marcel Lachemann.

“We could bring that up every night, but to dwell on it is ridiculous,” Lachemann said. “Chili’s not here and he’s not going to be here for a while. We have to get it done with the people we’ve got. And if we sit around and wait for Chili to get back, we’re going to be in trouble.”

By no means has Davis alone carried the Angels to first place in the American League West this season, a position they still hold exclusively today because of Texas’ loss to Detroit Wednesday.

Three other players--Jim Edmonds, Tim Salmon and J.T. Snow--each have more than 30 runs batted in, leadoff batter Tony Phillips has a .412 on-base percentage, the pitching has been very good and the defense outstanding.

But when the heart of the new Angel order wilted in the eighth inning of a close game after Spike Owen led off by reaching second on Royal first baseman Wally Joyner’s double error, Davis’ absence seemed all the more apparent.

Edmonds (strikeout), Salmon (groundout) and Snow (strikeout) failed to move Owen, and Royal reliever Jeff Montgomery retired the side in order in the ninth for his 200th career save.

“I hope everybody takes [the loss of Davis] as a challenge and steps up and gets the job done,” Phillips said. “All year, up and down the lineup, guys have been coming through, and we have to keep it up.”

They almost did Wednesday. Angel starter Mike Bielecki gave up four runs on only four hits in six innings and Snow homered in the sixth to pull the Angels to within 4-3.

But the Angels couldn’t match the Royals’ no-name offense, which featured bases-empty homers in the fourth and ninth innings by outfielder Jon Nunnally, a former Royal replacement player who played Class-A ball in the Cleveland organization last season.

Then there was Gary Gaetti, the former Angel third baseman who was released in 1993--with two years remaining on a contract that paid him $3 million a year--and signed with the Royals.

Gaetti, who beat the Angels with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth on May 13, keyed a four-run fourth with a three-run homer off the left field foul poll, with the familiar Big A boos ringing in his ears.

“I know how disliked I am here as a player,” Gaetti said. “I’m glad to come back here and be successful as a team. I’m very happy here because the manager has a lot of confidence in me. I didn’t have that in Anaheim.”

The Angels nearly made up that 4-0 deficit, with Snow’s two-run home run off Royal starter Tom Gordon in the sixth making the score 4-3.

Royal Manager Bob Boone was ejected early in the fourth for arguing a close force play at second on which Vince Coleman was ruled out.

In the first inning, Boone, the former Angel catcher, argued another call. His contention: After Tom Goodwin bunted in front of the mound, first baseman Snow pulled his foot off the bag before making the catch from Bielecki. First base umpire Tim Welki ruled Goodwin was out, but replays indicated Boone was right and Goodwin was safe.