Abbott Improves but Not Enough

He went seven innings, limiting the team that leads the major leagues in batting to five hits, but there was still no joy in Abbott-ville Tuesday night.

The Texas Rangers couldn’t have timed their hits off Jim Abbott any better, bunching four in the second and third innings en route to a 6-2 victory over the Angels before 34,680 in the Ballpark at Arlington.

It was Abbott’s best game in more than two months, a performance the left-hander hopes to build on as he tries to emerge from the depths of what is now a 1-12 season.

“But it’s still a little hollow when you lose,” said Abbott, who was charged with five runs and is tied with Kansas City’s Mark Gubicza and Minnesota’s Brad Radke for most losses in the major leagues.

“You can say I pitched better, and I know everyone wants to read about progress, but I want to see the Angels win. I can’t really get excited or give a positive response.”

Neither could Angel batters, who one night after scoring 10 runs managed only five hits off starter Darren Oliver, who went seven innings and struck out five to improve to 8-3. Jeff Russell added two hitless innings for his second save.

Many of the Angel outs were hit hard--four balls were lined right at outfielders and shortstop Gary DiSarcina drove a ball into the left-field bleachers in the fifth inning for his second homer of the season.

But on a night Abbott gave them a chance to win, the Angels responded with only eight baserunners, four of whom reached second base.

“We don’t have anything to feel bad about or hang our heads about from an offensive standpoint,” right fielder Tim Salmon said. “We made good contact but were just hitting outs.”

The Rangers hit one ball out off Abbott, Rusty Greer’s fifth-inning, bases-empty homer to right that gave the Rangers a 5-2 lead. “I threw my curve better except for that one I hung to Greer,” Abbott said. “I wish I could have got that ball down.”

The Rangers, who moved three games ahead of Seattle and 9 1/2 ahead of the Angels, scored twice in the second on Juan Gonzalez’s leadoff double, a two-out walk to Rene Gonzales and David Valle’s two-run double to left.

Chili Davis’ RBI single made it 2-1 in the top of the third, but the Rangers responded with two more in the bottom of the third on Greer’s RBI double and Mickey Tettleton’s RBI single.

But after Greer’s homer, Abbott retired seven of the next eight batters before giving way to Mike James to start the eighth.

“I thought he threw a lot better, especially the last three innings,” Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “Those were the three best innings he’s had in a while. The thing is, he was throwing the ball.”

Many of Abbott’s problems stem from the fact he has been aiming--more than throwing--the ball, pitching tentatively instead of aggressively. But he said he felt more comfortable Tuesday as the game wore on.

“I had more confidence in my fastball and felt like I was attacking the mitt,” said Abbott, whose earned-run average improved a little, from 7.60 to 7.52. “That’s what I have to do.”

The seven-inning stint was Abbott’s longest since May 2, when he went 7 1/3 innings against Oakland for his only victory of the season. Abbott had three strikeouts and five walks--one intentional.

He didn’t exactly light up radar guns with his fastball, but his breaking pitches seemed to have a little more bite. And even though his ball-to-strike ratio (44-56) was not exceptional, Abbott showed better command of his pitches, remaining around the plate and keeping most down in the strike zone.

A few of Abbott’s pitches bounced in front of catcher Pat Borders, but his only wild pitch came when he held onto the ball too long on an attempted pitchout in the seventh.

As Borders stood up, Abbott’s low fastball crossed the plate and hit umpire Larry Young before bouncing to the screen, allowing Mark McLemore to reach second.

“There weren’t as many of those pitches that were all over the place,” Lachemann said. “He threw 110 pitches in seven innings--he’s had a couple of three- and four-inning stints where he’s thrown 100 pitches--which means his command was better.”