Erstad Delivers Win for Angels

The Angels, who haven’t been able to match up a good pitching performance with a strong offensive outing very often this season, got a quality start from Chuck Finley, some very solid relief pitching and two clutch hits from Mo Vaughn Monday night.

The result?

Well, it wasn’t enough to win in regulation, but at least they were still treading water in the 11th inning when Darin Erstad led off with a home run into the right-field seats for a 4-3 victory over Toronto in front of 17,324 at Edison Field.

“We definitely haven’t been clicking offensively,” said Erstad, who had two hits, two walks and scored twice, “but our offense will come around. We also haven’t been playing with any desire or heart, so this game is a very good sign.”

Vaughn, the Angels’ newest power broker, had a run-scoring single and an RBI double and Finley, their longtime ace, struck out seven and allowed just five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Relievers Mark Petkovsek, Scott Schoeneweis and Troy Percival, who got the victory, did not allow a run.

And still they had to battle into extra innings to eke out a victory against the Blue Jays, who swept three games from the Angels last week in Toronto.

“This was a good way to end the negative slide we’ve been on,” Vaughn said. “We made plays, got key hits, played with intensity and pitched great. Maybe we can get that positive feeling going now.”

The last time Finley faced Toronto--which was only last Tuesday--he said he had the best stuff he’s had all season. A live fastball and a nasty split-finger are always nice, if you know what to do with them, which Finley apparently didn’t. He threw 100 pitches and gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

It seems he temporarily forgot the foundation of his longtime success. Finley, who has tormented right-handed hitters by tatooing the low, outside corner of the plate, decided to start busting the Blue Jays inside. And Toronto turned him inside out.

Monday, Finley returned to his comfort zone--away, away, away down south in the strike zone--and sailed through the Blue Jays’ lineup until the seventh. Toronto never had more than one runner on base in the first six innings, but he struggled with his control in the seventh.

“Chuck had quality stuff and made some great pitches,” Manager Terry Collins said. “I’ll take a lot more like that. The way he was pitching, I thought it was going to be one of those classic Chuck Finley games. Then he hit [Carlos] Delgado and maybe he lost his concentration.”

After plunking Delgado leading off the seventh, Finley walked Tony Fernandez. Alex Gonzalez struck out, but designated hitter Anthony Sanders lined a two-run double down the left-field line. One out later, No. 9 hitter Pat Kelly walked on four pitches and Collins went to his bullpen, summoning Petkovsek. Shannon Stewart greeted Petkovsek with a run-scoring single to right and the Blue Jays went ahead, 3-2.

The Angels tied the score in the bottom of the seventh when Randy Velarde walked with one out and came roaring all the way around to score on Vaughn’s double off the fence in the right-field corner. Vaughn, still playing on an obviously painful left ankle that he injured on opening day, was removed for a pinch runner.

The Angels did manage to get a couple of lucky breaks.

The first bit of good fortune came in the fourth, after Finley had retired the first nine Blue Jays in order. Stewart sent a shot right over the pitching rubber and the ball hit Finley--a legendary line-drive magnet--in the lower left leg. But the glancing blow apparently did no damage.

An inning later, the Angels, who hit .174 with runners in scoring position while losing four of five games on last week’s road trip, finally took advantage of a scoring opportunity to grab a 2-0 lead.

Jeff Huson slapped a one-out double into the right-field corner. Erstad walked and Velarde flied out to right, with Huson taking third. Vaughn’s two-out, two-strike line drive to left dropped in front of a diving Stewart to drive in Huson with Erstad taking third.