Davis Loses His Cool, and Angels Stay Hot : Baseball: Designated hitter cited by Milwaukee police after confrontation with fan during 8-3 victory over the Brewers.

A successful weekend trip to Milwaukee had an ugly ending for the Angels on Sunday when designated hitter Chili Davis poked a fan in the face during an 8-3 victory over the Brewers in County Stadium and was charged with disorderly conduct.

Davis, in the on-deck circle during the fourth inning, was apparently fed up with a spectator who, according to the Angels, had been verbally harassing players throughout the game.

Davis and the fan first exchanged words by the railing. Davis went back to the on-deck circle, but after a warm-up swing he suddenly dropped his bat, walked up to the man and stuck his index finger into his cheek.

“He sort of slapped the guy’s face as he was poking,” said Sgt. David Iushewitz of the Milwaukee sheriff’s office.

Witnesses said Davis told the 26-year-old fan: “You got a problem with me, say it to my face,” Iushewitz said. But witnesses also told Iushewitz the fan who was struck was not heckling Davis, and that the actual hecklers were nearby.

Order was quickly restored, and security personnel removed the spectator, whose name was not released, from his seat. Davis, who was given a citation that carries a $287 fine, tipped his hat as the fans booed, and then lined a single to center field.

Davis was booed loudly in his remaining two at-bats and was still fuming after the game, but he declined to discuss the incident.

“I got nothing to say at all, not one thing, so get out of my face,” Davis said as he stormed past reporters and out of the clubhouse.

Angel outfielder Tim Salmon, who was batting when the incident occurred, said, “Someone was chirping back there, popping off at every hitter, but to get Chili to go after him, that guy must have said something pretty bad.”

The incident will probably be reviewed by American League officials, who could suspend Davis, but Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said, “We’re not concerned.” Bavasi declined further comment.

In one of the more well-known altercations between a player and a heckler, the Cleveland Indians’ Albert Belle hit a fan with a baseball in 1991 and was suspended for seven days.

It wasn’t the first run-in the Angels had with fans during the four-game series sweep of the Brewers. On Saturday night, a heckler got into the Angel bullpen and was chased away by several relievers and catchers. Several players said they had beer poured on them by spectators.

Baltimore Oriole scout Deacon Jones scuffled with two drunk fans in the seats behind home plate during Saturday’s game, and all three were cited for disorderly conduct.

When the incident occurred Sunday, Davis was still steaming about a first-inning strikeout, which he punctuated by ripping the doors off a storage cabinet in the Angel clubhouse.

“But just because you pay your $7 doesn’t mean you have the right to ridicule a guy all day long,” Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds said. “You can take criticism, but that must have gotten out of hand. Some people get out of control.”

In the game, the Angels amassed 13 more hits and improved to 54-33, the first time they have been 21 games over .500 since Sept. 28, 1989, when they were 90-69 but in third place in the AL West.

The Angels, who had never swept a four-game series from the Brewers, have won six in a row and 15 of 18 games since the All-Star break. They had 54 hits--four of them homers--against Milwaukee.

Chuck Finley (10-7) gave up nine hits in seven innings, and Salmon, Tony Phillips, Rex Hudler and Damion Easley each had two hits.

But the offensive star was left fielder Garret Anderson, who had three hits, including a bases-empty home run deep into the right-field bleachers in the fifth, and a career-high five runs batted in.

Anderson, who capped a three-run first inning with a two-run single, is batting .452 (38 for 84) in the last 19 games with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and 13 multiple-hit games. He has 42 RBIs in 49 games this season.

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Phillips, who also scored three runs Sunday. “He hit .321 in triple-A last year. The guy can hit.”

Anderson went three for five Sunday and his series average against the Brewers went down from Saturday, from .615 to .611 (11 for 18).

“I would imagine they’re probably happy to see Garret leave town,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.