Angels Get a Reminder in Defeat

Kevin Tapani was on the market at the same time as Jim Abbott last summer. The Angels had their chances to grab Tapani like other clubs.

But they settled on Abbott, a fan favorite many believe never should have left for the New York Yankees in 1993.

If there was a night to second guess the Angels’ decision, it came Tuesday at Comiskey Park. With Tapani on the mound for the Chicago White Sox and Abbott watching from his new spot in the bullpen, the Angels lost, 3-2.

The Angels, winners of 13 of their last 18, still haven’t had a winning trip this season. They went 3-4 on this trip to Milwaukee and Chicago and are 15-25 on the road.

Tapani, with relief from Roberto Hernandez in the ninth inning, turned the Angel offense to jelly Tuesday. He gave up two runs on five hits, struck out five and walked one in eight innings.

Abbott (1-11) has yet to make his first relief appearance after Manager Marcel Lachemann moved him to the bullpen Saturday in hopes of shaking him from his season-long doldrums.

In the end, the deals were similar, but the results have not been.

The Angels traded for Abbott last July 27, sending the White Sox four minor league players. During the winter, they signed Abbott to a new three-year deal worth $7.8 million.

The Dodgers sent three minor-leaguers to the Twins to get Tapani and Mark Guthrie four days after Abbott joined the Angels. After the Dodgers released Tapani, the White Sox signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.

Tuesday, Tapani (8-4) won a old-fashioned pitchers’ duel--the kind not often seen in the American League circa 1996. By game’s end, he was a bit stronger than Angel starter Mark Langston (5-3).

Langston gave up two walks and run-scoring singles to Frank Thomas and Lyle Mouton in the fifth inning as Chicago built a 3-1 lead. Randy Velarde cut the lead to 3-2 with a bases-empty homer in the eighth that extended his hit streak to a career-best 13 games.

“I didn’t think he threw it as hard tonight as I’ve seen him,” Chili Davis said of Tapani, a teammate with the Twins in 1991 and ’92. “He wasn’t as explosive with his fastball, but he got away with it.

“He’s always been the kind of pitcher who keeps you in the ballgame. He comes at you. He doesn’t walk a lot of guys.”

Said Lachemann: “He’s got a lot of good pitches and he’s been on a pretty good roll.”

Tuesday’s victory helped lower Tapani’s earned-run average to 3.51, second-best among American League starters. Abbott’s 7.92 ERA is the highest among AL starters.

The only significant differences between Tapani and Langston was that Tapani had only one walk and did not have to face Thomas.

After retiring Ozzie Guillen to start the fifth, Langston walked Tony Phillips and Darren Lewis. And that brought up Thomas, who torments Langston.

Langston pitched him tough, but Thomas reached out and served a single into right field that scored Phillips.

“It was a changeup on the outside part of the plate,” Langston said of the pitch to Thomas, who has a .444 career average (20 for 45) against him. “He’s a great player. He’s had great success against me. I keep waiting for it to even out. It hasn’t yet.”