Juden, Fetters Pitch In at Detroit

It was one game, with many more to go. But for one game, the Angels’ recent wheeling and dealing paid off.

The newcomers couldn’t seem to do enough Tuesday, and the Detroit Tigers did plenty, in the Angels’ 5-4, 11-inning victory in front of 13,010 at Tiger Stadium.

Starting pitcher Jeff Juden, picked up from the Milwaukee Brewers four days ago, went 7 1/3 innings, striking out nine and giving up only an unearned run. He didn’t benefit directly, but reliever Mike Fetters did.

Fetters, a day removed from the last-place Oakland A’s, struck out Tony Clark with the winning run at third in the 10th inning. He got the victory when the Angels scored two unearned runs.

The Angels had more than their share of glitches, including two errors and three failed sacrifice attempts. But these were the Tigers, losers of eight straight and 17 of 21, and they are experts in giving away games.

Left fielder Luis Gonzalez was unable to hang on to Craig Shipley’s fly ball in the 11th, and Jim Edmonds scored from second. Shipley then scored on Orlando Palmeiro’s single, providing the margin of victory as the Angels gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the inning.

It provided a happy ending to the coming-out party for Juden and Fetters.

“There is nothing better than to get a win the first game with a new team,” Fetters said.

Fetters did it facing only one batter; he got Clark with a forkball with runners at first and third to end the 10th. He had barely sat down when the Angels rallied.

Edmonds lined a double into the left-field corner to start the 11th. It was his second opposite-field hit of the game. His two-run homer in the seventh had given the Angels a 2-1 lead.

Shipley was sent up to bunt as a pinch-hitter, but missed on two pitches. He then lofted a fly ball down the left-field line. Gonzalez came charging in and tried to backhand the ball, but it popped out of his glove. Edmonds didn’t tag on the play and made it home easily.

“That’s a pretty routine play, but there were plenty of other situations we couldn’t take advantage of,” Tiger Manager Buddy Bell said.

Still . . .

“I’ve always said, I’d rather be lucky than good,” Fetters said. “They had chances they didn’t cash in on. We cashed in on ours.”

If Tuesday was any indication, the Angels cashed in on some recent deals as well. They were unable to acquire a pitcher before the non-waiver trade deadline. They since have picked up two. .

Juden came for a song, or rather a short tune--a minor league player to be named and a small amount of cash. He came cheaply for a reason. Juden had lost 10 of his last 12 games and brought with him a colorful, if not ornery reputation.

Juden spent his pregame chatting with fans behind the Angel dugout. An hour later, he hit Tiger leadoff batter Brian Hunter with his fourth pitch to start his Angel career.

He then got rolling, striking out the side in the second and giving up two hits through seven innings. The Tigers’ took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when shortstop Gary DiSarcina bounced a throw that Todd Greene, making his major league debut at first base, couldn’t dig out.

It hardly seemed to faze Juden, who breezed through the sixth and seventh, striking out three more.

“If we get that kind of performance from him the next two months, it will really help,” Manager Terry Collins said.

If it was a monumental moment in the Angels’ season, Juden seemed unaware.

“I just take the ball every five days and pitch,” he said.

In the eighth, Juden gave up two hits and a run before leaving, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Trevor Wilson struck out Bobby Higginson, but Clark ripped the first pitch for a double to tie the score, 3-3.

But Juden more than impressed his new teammates.

“Any one we can get to help us win is big,” Edmonds said. “[Juden] goes out and shuts them down for seven innings. It was a great lift for us.”