Slaught Is Mr. Clutch for Angels

He was a spring-training castoff, an aging afterthought when the Angels signed him, but Tuesday night Don Slaught was a hero, the recipient of a standing ovation from an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 19,213 that couldn’t seem to get enough of the crusty old catcher.

Slaught knocked in the tying run in the bottom of the sixth inning and the winning run in the eighth to lift the Angels to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox, the Angels’ ninth come-from-behind win in their last 10 games.

Slaught, 37, who has been released three times in the past six years, who has been on the disabled list nine times in his 14-year career, who describes himself as “just an average player,” now leads the Angels with a .341 average.

He has six home runs and 25 runs batted in despite starting only 35 games, and he is by far the Angels’ best performer in the clutch, with a .405 average and 17 RBIs with runners in scoring position. Included in that statistic is a .500 mark (nine for 18) with runners in scoring position and two outs.

“I’m not real flashy, I’m not a player who has exceptional talent, I’m not going to hit a lot of home runs, and I’m not going to carry a team or anything,” Slaught said. “But I think I’ve gotten better with age.”

The Angels spent all winter pursuing free-agent catcher Joe Oliver, who eventually signed with the Cincinnati Reds because the Angels couldn’t fork over enough money.

Slaught opened spring training with the Reds but asked for his release after the Oliver signing, and the Angels, looking for a veteran backup for starter Jorge Fabregas, picked up Slaught with such little expectations that they issued him No. 90 in camp.

But Slaught has been the Angels’ most pleasant offensive surprise this season, taking over the bulk of the catching duties and emerging as one of the team’s top hitters, as he proved again Tuesday night.

Slaught capped a three-run, sixth-inning rally with a two-out RBI single to right off White Sox starter James Baldwin to tie the game, 3-3. The teams exchanged runs in the seventh, Chicago’s coming on Frank Thomas’ RBI double and the Angels’ on Tim Salmon’s ninth homer in the past 15 games.

But after Gary DiSarcina opened the eighth with a double to right-center and took third on Darin Erstad’s grounder to first, Slaught singled to right off reliever Bill Simas (0-4) for a 5-4 lead.

“I can’t say enough about him, the way he’s caught, handled the pitching staff, and obviously his hitting has been awesome,” said Manager Marcel Lachemann, who broke through a group of reporters to high-five Slaught in front of his locker. “He’s a tough out. He just doesn’t give in.”

Troy Percival pitched a scoreless ninth for his 19th save, preserving the victory for Chuck Finley, who gave up four runs on eight hits in eight innings to improve to 9-4, the best start of his career.

Finley wasn’t hit hard, but he didn’t look extremely sharp, giving up single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings.

Third baseman Robin Ventura had a hand in Chicago’s first two runs, singling to lead off the second and later scoring on Darren Lewis’ groundout and homering in the fourth--his third in as many games--to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

Norberto Martin singled with one out in the fifth, took second on Finley’s balk and scored on Thomas’ RBI single.

Baldwin, mixing a nasty curve with an above-average fastball, had blanked the Angels for five innings, but four singles and a well-placed sacrifice in the sixth led to three Angel runs and a 3-3 game.

J.T. Snow led off with a single and Tim Wallach followed with a bloop single to center. Randy Velarde then lined an RBI single to center, and Wallach took third when Lewis, the White Sox center fielder, bobbled the ball.

DiSarcina dropped a bunt down the first-base line, but when Thomas tossed to Baldwin for the out at first, Wallach broke for the plate and scored, bringing the Angels to within 3-2. Velarde took third on Erstad’s groundout and scored on Slaught’s single to right.