Angels Make Mistake of Giving Indians Too Many Chances, 7-6

The Angels tiptoed onto the high-wire one too many times Tuesday night, and there was no safety net to catch them in the ninth inning, when Mark Whiten’s run-scoring single gave the Cleveland Indians a 7-6 victory over the mistake-prone Angels before 43,184 in Jacobs Field.

Reliever Rich DeLucia made like an escape artist in the seventh and eighth innings, slipping out of two runners-on-first-and-second, no-out jams, but Manny Ramirez’s chopper up the middle to start the ninth went off DeLucia’s glove for a single, and the game-winning rally had begun.

David Justice lined a single to right, Richie Sexson bunted into a fielder’s choice, and Whiten laced an Omar Olivares pitch into left-center to score Justice, as the Angels lost in the opponent’s last at-bat for the third time on this 10-game trip.

Thanks to Detroit’s win over Texas, the Angels remained 2 1/2 games against the Rangers in the American League West. They are 5-4 on their treacherous trek through New York, Boston and Cleveland, but they can’t help but wonder how much ground they could have gained had they not lost two one-run games to the Yankees and another to the Indians.

“It could have been a great trip,” said Angel pitcher Chuck Finley, who was roughed up for five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings Tuesday night. “It will still be a good one if we win [today].”

A victory today would wash away the sour taste in the mouths of the Angels, whose miscues helped the Indians score runs in the fourth, fifth and ninth innings and may have prevented the Angels from scoring more in the sixth.

With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel tapped a grounder to third baseman Troy Glaus, who wanted to throw home but bobbled the ball and was forced to settle for the out at third. Sexson scored to give Cleveland a 4-3 lead, and Kenny Lofton grounded out.

The Indians made it 5-3 in the fifth when Joey Cora singled and came all the way home when Jim Edmonds, the Angels’ Gold Glove center fielder, let Ramirez’s single go under his glove and roll about 25 feet behind him.

Tim Salmon, who hit a two-run home run to cap a three-run third--his ninth homer against the Indians this season--also helped the Angels rally in the sixth. He singled before Edmonds doubled off the wall in left-center.

Garret Anderson’s sacrifice fly scored Salmon, Glaus walked, and Matt Walbeck struck out. After Gary DiSarcina was hit by a pitch, Greg Jefferies blooped a two-run single into shallow center to make it 6-5 Angels.

Lofton, the Indian center fielder, came up short on his dive, but he made a strong throw to third to cut down DiSarcina, who rounded the bag too far and stepped on third baseman Travis Fryman’s foot as he scrambled back to the bag.

Cleveland tied the game, 6-6, in the seventh when Fryman singled, Ramirez walked and Justice reached for a low-and-away Mike Holtz curve and blooped an RBI single into right-center.

“Tonight was another example of why defense is so important,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “Maybe Roger Clemens can pitch great games without defense, but I don’t know if anyone else can.”

Edmonds said he couldn’t recall letting a ball go right under his glove like he did in the fifth.

“It happens,” he said. “The grass is cut two different ways, and the ball moved. I probably shouldn’t have charged as hard as I did--I didn’t need to, and I over-ran it. It didn’t even touch my glove.”

Whatever happens tonight, the Angels are sure to be drained when they get home. Of the nine games on the trip, five have been decided by one run, one went extra innings, and two lasted more than four hours.

“You get your money’s worth with us,” Finley said. “Keep a close eye and stay up late.”

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RANGERS SLAMMED: Deivi Cruz’s grand slam gave the Detroit Tigers a 12-8 victory over the Texas Rangers. C7