Radke Has Angels’ Number

If the Angels advance to the playoffs and draw the New York Yankees, David Cone figures to pitch the first game. Cone won the American League Cy Young Award in 1994.

If the Angels draw the Boston Red Sox, they would face Pedro Martinez, who won the National League Cy Young Award last year as a member of the Montreal Expos. And, should the Toronto Blue Jays fly by the Red Sox, the Angels would stare down Roger Clemens, who won his fourth AL Cy Young Award last season.

The Angels would not relish any of those assignments, to be sure, but they would be ever so grateful the Minnesota Twins did not qualify for the playoffs. Brad Radke may be the best pitcher you’ve never heard of, but he dominates the Angels like no other pitcher in the league.

Radke beat the Angels again Tuesday, pitching seven innings in the Twins’ 5-0 victory. He is undefeated in four starts against the Angels this season and 7-1 with a 1.57 earned-run average in his career.

“It’s just a team I pitch well against,” Radke said, “like a hitter that hits well against a particular team for no reason.

“But when I pitch against these guys, my confidence level is pretty high. That helps out.”

A little confidence goes a long way when you haven’t won since July 28, and Radke (11-13) won for the first time in eight starts Tuesday. But do not belittle the Angels, for that winless streak represents no more than the slump of a rising star.

Radke, 25, finished third in Cy Young voting last season, winning 12 consecutive games at one point and 20 in all, no small feat on a team that won 68 games. He won nine more in the first half this season, carrying a 2.77 ERA with him to his first All-Star Game.

“We saw what Brad Radke was about last year,” Minnesota designated hitter Paul Molitor said. “On a team that was pretty dismal, he found a way to win 20 games. That was a phenomenal accomplishment.

“This year, teams have adjusted to his style of pitching, and he’s had to work hard. But there’s no question he has the ability and the makeup to be a big-game pitcher. I hope he gets the opportunity to do that in this organization some day.”

The Twins’ management feels the same way. The club signed Radke to a three-year, $3.4-million contract last season, before he would have been eligible for arbitration. The Twins also hold an option for the 2000 season. Perhaps the Angels will solve the riddle of Radke by then.

By the time the contract expires, Molitor will be long gone. He is considering retirement after this season, but he won’t ease up in his assault on baseball’s record book. With a home run off Allen Watson Tuesday, Molitor recorded career hit No. 3,300, a feat accomplished by only eight other players in major league history.

“It’s a round number,” Molitor said. “You don’t know when a round number is going to come around, and this could be the last round number for me.”