Rogers Again Masters Angels, but He Can’t Win

So this is how the Angels finally beat Kenny Rogers, not with a bang but a whimper.

Rogers pitched a no-hitter through seven innings Tuesday, gave up only two hits and didn’t seem to work up much of a sweat all night.

Then he lost on an error, a bloop double and two walks. With that “rally” the Angels beat the New York Yankees, 1-0, at Anaheim Stadium, stopping a seven-game losing streak against Rogers--a run that included a perfect game in 1994.

But it ended with a bases-loaded walk to Chili Davis with one out in the ninth inning.

“I would have rather they hit a home run,” Rogers said. “It would have been a little easier to digest.”

Afterward, Rogers walked slowly off the field, glanced at the fireworks exploding beyond the right-field fence, and picked up his jacket in the dugout. He showed his frustration by turning over the bat rack before disappearing into the clubhouse.

One could hardly blame him.

Rogers (3-1) had won eight consecutive decisions, dating to last season. He had been particularly nasty against the Angels over the years, coming in with a 9-1 record and 2.62 earned-run average against them. They hadn’t beaten him since June 28, 1991.

But the Yankees, who scored 16 runs Monday night, got only two runners as far as third base Tuesday. Rogers couldn’t pitch well enough to overcome that, even against the Angels.

“The toughest part is wasting a hell of a pitching performance,” Manager Joe Torre said. “He had no margin for error.”

Which was exactly what occurred.

With one out in the ninth, Rex Hudler hit a ground ball to shortstop Andy Fox, who threw high. Tino Martinez appeared to get his foot down in time, but Hudler was called safe. Randy Velarde followed by looping a double to right and Tim Salmon was walked intentionally.

Then Rogers--who had thrown 21 strikes in his first 22 pitches two weekends ago against the Angels--threw four consecutive balls to Davis. A tough way to lose, but the Angels will take what they can get against him.

“He’s thrown a perfect game against us,” Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “He was great tonight, but that’s not my problem.”

Nor was Rogers looking for pity.

“The error didn’t cost me the game, it was ball four,” Rogers said. “Walking Chili on four pitches, I have no one to blame but myself. I didn’t do my job.”

If Rogers sounds like a perfectionist, it’s because he’s been one.

In 1994, Rogers, then with the Texas Rangers, retired all 27 batters in a 4-0 victory over the Angels. Five of those players were in the lineup and each had about the same success against the left-hander Tuesday.

Rogers struck out six. The Angels had only two runners through seven innings--Gary DiSarcina reached on an error and Jorge Fabregas walked. But he lost the no-hitter when Garret Anderson led off the eighth with a soft liner to center.

“It was a curve that looped in there,” Rogers said. “I can live with that. I’d take the same pitch 100 times. The no-hitter would have been nice, but it didn’t bother me. What was disappointing was losing the game.”