Finally, Springer Is a Big Winner

Dennis Springer’s year in the Angel organization has resembled one of his best knuckleballs--he’s in, he’s out, he’s up, he’s down.

The 31-year-old right-hander began the season in the Angel bullpen but was sent to triple-A Vancouver April 16. He joined the Angel rotation May 9 but was back in the minor leagues by May 17.

The Angels recalled Springer again last weekend, but after pitching a strong 7 2/3 innings in the Angels’ 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night, it appears Springer’s yo-yo ride might be over.

An Anaheim Stadium crowd of 18,189 saw Springer give up only three runs on four hits and walk only one to earn his first major league victory, outdueling the major league’s youngest player, 20-year-old Brewer pitcher Jeff D’Amico.

“Nine years to wait for your first win--that doesn’t happen too often,” said Springer, who pitched eight minor league seasons before making his big league debut with Philadelphia in 1995. “But it was worth the wait.”

Springer only got a third chance this season because Ryan Hancock threw 4 1/3 innings of relief two days before last Saturday’s scheduled start and had to be scratched.

Springer took full advantage, throwing seven innings of five-hit ball against Seattle Saturday, and that outing, combined with Friday night’s gem, will keep him in the Angel rotation.

“That was definitely a shot in the arm,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “He’s shown he’s tough to hit, and batters are not comfortable against him. He’s kept us in games, he doesn’t beat himself, he throws the ball over the plate and holds runners on fairly well . . . and those were some pretty good hitters who were scuffling against him.”

Springer retired the first six Brewer batters, but after Milwaukee scored twice in the third, he gave up only one hit from the fourth through sixth innings. Greg Vaughn homered to lead off the seventh, but Springer recovered quickly, retiring the next three batters.

Few balls were hit hard by the Brewers, who rank third in the American League in batting and second in runs, and Springer, who asked home-plate umpire Durwood Merrill for a game ball after the final out, could sense frustration in the opposing dugout.

“I don’t try to look at them too much,” he said, “but you can hear them once in awhile.”

Springer, whose 7 2/3 innings were a career-high, was replaced by Troy Percival with two outs in the eighth and the Angels leading, 4-3. Tim Salmon singled in the bottom of the eighth and Chili Davis followed with his 18th homer of the season for a 6-3 lead.

Those runs proved very important when John Valentin hit a two-run homer off Percival with two out in the top of the ninth. But Percival got Jeff Cirillo on a game-ending popup for his 27th save, as the Angels moved to eight games behind the first-place Texas Rangers.

The victory was the Angels’ second straight come-from-behind effort. Vaughn’s 29th homer of the season put the Brewers up, 3-2, in the top of the seventh, but the Angels came right back with two in the bottom of the seventh.

Davis opened with a walk and Garret Anderson doubled, a chopper that nicked off the glove of leaping first baseman John Jaha and went into right field, allowing Davis to go to third. J.T. Snow’s single to right made it 3-3.

D’Amico, who gave up five hits in six innings, was replaced by Ramon Garcia, who struck out George Arias for the first out. Darin Erstad, pinch-hitting for catcher Pat Borders, worked the count to 3-2 before lofting a single to left-center for a 4-3 lead.

Randy Velarde walked on four pitches to load the bases, but Gary DiSarcina smashed a liner right at Cirillo, the third baseman who gloved it and touched the bag for an inning-ending double play.

The Angels scored in the first when DiSarcina walked, Jim Edmonds, who was playing despite a stomach flu, singled, Salmon walked and Davis hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead in the third on Listach’s RBI fielder’s choice and Fernando Vina’s RBI single, but the Angels countered with Arias’ homer in the fifth, to make it 2-2.