An Offense Even a Pitcher Can Love

Todd Stottlemyre wasn’t exactly overjoyed when he was traded from the Cardinals to the Rangers on the last day of the trading deadline in July, but he soon discovered that pitching in a Texas uniform has its advantages.

Well, watching the league’s best offense from the dugout has its advantages, anyway.

The only thing more fun than pitching your way out of a jam with a one-run lead is watching your teammates bury an opponent under an onslaught that renders most rallies useless.

Stottlemyre made 23 starts for St. Louis and the Cardinals scored more than seven runs in only one of those games. In his first five starts with Texas, the Rangers scored seven or more runs in all of them.

Even with the all that support, Stottlemyre struggled at times, giving up six runs in four innings of a 14-8 loss to Boston and five in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-7 loss to Detroit.

But the 33-year-old right-hander seemed perfectly comfortable with the cushion the Rangers provided Monday night at Edison Field. He gave up six hits over seven innings, struck out seven, walked four and didn’t give up a run as Texas beat the Angels, 9-1, to regain first place in the American League West and go one up in the match play that is the last week of the season.

For the second time in less than a week--Stottlemyre and the Rangers beat the Angels, 5-3, Thursday in Texas--he was dominating in a game that was as important as any these teams have played this season.

“This is the time of year when every win is big and every loss is devastating,” he said. “You go out there and give it everything you’ve got.”

On this evening, that meant a lot of curveballs, which Stottlemyre rates his third-best pitch, behind his fastball and slider. He relied mainly on the fastball last week, but went to the breaking ball in key spots Monday night.

“I’m not revealing any game plans,” he said, smiling. “I just wanted to get Strike 1 and stay aggressive.”

The Rangers acquired Stottlemyre, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, because they believed he was the rent-a-pitcher who could lift them to the AL West title. And he went a long way toward accomplishing that goal in one outing Monday night.

The Angels’ best chance to score came in the first inning when they loaded the bases with one out on a double by Randy Velarde and walks to Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon. But Stottlemyre struck out Darin Erstad and got Garret Anderson to ground out to shortstop.

Only three Angels made it as far as third base after that.

“I think Todd knew who he wanted to pitch to there,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “Getting out of that jam had to excite us. We always play with a great deal of confidence when he’s pitching, but he’s really stepped it up the last few games.

“I remember when we first got him, I talked to [St. Louis Manager] Tony LaRussa and he told me, ‘Don’t judge this guy until you see his heart.’ ”

Oates is seeing it now. Angel Manager Terry Collins probably has been envisioning it in nightmares since July 31.

“Todd Stottlemyre is one of the best competitors you’ll ever be around,” Collins said. “The thing that impresses me most is his competitiveness. He never gives in, never quits. It seems like any time you have him on the ropes, he steps it up.

“They got him for a reason . . . because they know the same things I know about him.”

Collins wasn’t the only one who remembered a certain Toronto pitcher tearing open a gash in his face with a face-first slide going from first to third on a hit during the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia.

And the way things are going for the Angels these days, Stottlemyre might get a chance to show off his baserunning skills--and that legendary moxie--in the postseason again real soon.

The Angels can catch it on TV again.