Angels Foiled by Hoiles

The first three batters in Baltimore’s lineup posed no problems for Angel pitcher Jack McDowell on Tuesday night. The right-hander dispatched Roberto Alomar, B.J. Surhoff and Harold Baines with relative ease, the trio combining to go 0 for 12 against McDowell.

That pesky No. 8 hitter was another story, though.

Oriole catcher Chris Hoiles, who has a history of hitting McDowell well, smacked a two-run double in the second inning and a bases-empty homer in the sixth to lead the Orioles to an 8-3 victory over the Angels before 20,968 in Edison Field.

What little momentum the Angels might have gathered with Monday night’s victory over Baltimore dissipated when Hoiles broke a 3-3 tie with his homer and the Orioles tacked on four runs in the ninth on two-run doubles by Baines (off Mike Holtz) and Rafael Palmeiro (off Omar Olivares).

Hoiles improved his career average against McDowell to .395 (17 for 43) with three homers, and his outburst took the sting out of Cecil Fielder’s landmark evening, which included his first home run as an Angel.

Angel Manager Terry Collins had moved Fielder into the cleanup spot Monday night, and the Orioles showed the designated hitter virtually no respect, walking No. 3 batter Tim Salmon four times to pitch to Fielder, who obliged Baltimore by following Salmon with four outs.

Fielder had only five hits in his last 51 at-bats (.098) entering Tuesday’s game, but with center fielder Jim Edmonds sidelined for another game because of a sprained right wrist, Collins penciled Fielder’s name back into the fourth spot.

“If they want to walk Salmon to get to Cecil, let them,” Collins said, defending his decision. “Someone’s going to make a mistake soon, and Cecil is going to be ready for it.”

He didn’t seem to be in the first inning, when he came up with one out and runners on first and third and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. But Fielder led off the fourth with a towering home run to left-center off Oriole starter Doug Johns.

That trimmed the Oriole lead to 3-1, and the Angels pulled even in the fifth after loading the bases with no outs when Damon Mashore singled, Gary DiSarcina was hit by a pitch and Darin Erstad bunted for a single.

Baltimore Manager Ray Miller replaced Johns with Sidney Ponson, one of the organization’s top prospects who was recalled Friday when ace Mike Mussina went on the disabled list.

Ponson, making only his second big league appearance, struck out Dave Hollins on a high curveball, but Salmon slapped an outside pitch into right field for a two-run single to make it 3-3.

Fielder had another hit to drive in a run but struck out looking on a curve that, despite Fielder’s objections, appeared to catch the inside corner.

Garret Anderson struck out to end the inning, and Hoiles then lined his homer into the left-field seats to give Baltimore the lead in the sixth.

The Orioles scored their first three runs in the second inning when Eric Davis singled, stole second and took third on catcher Phil Nevin’s throwing error. Cal Ripken flared an RBI single to right, Joe Carter singled to left, and Hoiles drilled a double to the right-center field gap for two runs.

McDowell gave up four runs on 10 hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out six.