Finley Puts His Pitches Where the Money Is

Their ace took them as far as he could. Their bullpen extended itself again. What was missing, and what has been missing for the Angels, is a little offense.

Matt Walbeck finally provided a smidgen. His lazy fly ball down the left-field line in the 11th inning gave the Angels a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in front of 21,352 Monday at Edison Field.

It also prevented the Angels from wasting a brilliant tag-team pitching performance and ended their three-game losing streak.

Chuck Finley went nine outstanding innings. He even out-pitched and out-lasted baseball’s hottest property, Pedro Martinez. Troy Percival and Mike Holtz followed with shutout innings.

Walbeck made their efforts payoff.

Garret Anderson walked with one out in he 11th, then went to third on Carlos Garcia’s single to right. Walbeck’s fly ball off reliever Tom Gordon landed five feet fair. Left fielder Troy O’Leary, playing shallow with one out, never had a chance.

“I saw the infield drawn in and I saw the outfield drawn in,” Walbeck said. “I kept telling myself to put the ball into play. I was talking to [the ball] all the way down the line, ‘Stay fair.’ ”

It wasn’t exactly the shot heard around the world--more like around the block--but it was enough. The way the Angel offense has been, it was plenty.

“I’m a little concerned about it because I know we’re a better offensive team than this,” said Manager Terry Collins, whose team was outscored, 23-6, in three losses to Cleveland Indians over the weekend. “But you have to consider who we faced.”

Martinez’s performance in the season opener against Oakland (7 innings, no runs, 11 strikeouts) showed he was at least worthy of all the fuss, if not his six-year, $75-million contract. He gave up seven hits in eight innings Monday, and struck out nine. “The first time you face him, you see this 6-foot, 160-pound guy,” Collins said. “Then he throws that 96-mph fastball and you ask, ‘Where the hell did that come from?’ ”

Finley, though, topped him. He went nine innings, striking out 10 and giving up four hits. All he had to show for it was a push and a carry-over of his personal 11-game winning streak.

Still, he did what was expected.

“That’s what an ace does, he stops losing streaks,” Collins said. “When Chuck is making his pitches, you’ve got a chance.”

When he left, things were still in good hands. Neither Percival nor Holtz have given up a run this season.

Percival had a little trouble in the 10th, as he gave up a double Midge Cummings and hit Scott Hatteberg. Percival struck out Nomar Garciaparra to end the inning. Holtz breezed through the 11th and got the victory, which was fine with Finley.

“Obviously, the object was to win the game,” Finley said. “I didn’t even worry about winning myself.”

Collins tried to improve Finley’s chances. He moved Dave Hollins to second spot in the order, dropping Jim Edmonds to fourth.

It worked in the first. Hollins doubled to right with one out. After Tim Salmon struck out, Edmonds looped a single to left, scoring Hollins.

“Having Hollins hit second was something I though about doing this spring,” Collins said. “You look at his career and he scores runs. Jim had lost some of his aggressiveness batting second. I think he thought he had to take more pitches.”

The Angels loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but Martinez wiggled out of it impressively. He got Edmonds to foul out, then struck out Cecil Fielder.

“When he makes a mistake, you better hit it,” Collins said. “Otherwise he’s going to get you out.”

That lead held up through five innings, as Finley didn’t allow a hit until Jim Leyritz rolled a single into right field with two outs in the fourth.