Angels Lose Their Bearings and Game

Ramon Ortiz lost his bearings, Mo Vaughn got lost on his way home, and the Angels lost in the most frustrating fashion Monday night, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-1, before 13,622 in the SkyDome.

In a bizarre one-inning span--bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth--that proved pivotal and pitiful for the Angels, Ortiz balked in the tying run, and Vaughn failed to touch third as he headed home with what would have been the go-ahead run, nullifying an Angel lead.

Carlos Delgado then broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, and Brad Fullmer highlighted a five-run eighth with a grand slam to back Kelvim Escobar’s eight-inning, one-run, eight-hit effort.

“I’ve been in this league for 10 years, too long for something like that to happen,” Vaughn said. “You never know what could have happened. The game could have changed in our favor. I won’t make any excuses. It was a bad play. I’m too old for that.”

Ortiz is not. The 24-year-old right-hander made his 11th big league start Monday, and that was his fourth balk, the second in two games this season.

After the Angels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Bengie Molina scored on Orlando Palmeiro’s sacrifice fly, the Blue Jays loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth when Fullmer walked with one out, Marty Cordova doubled and Alex Gonzalez walked.

Ortiz, pitching from the stretch, brought his hands toward his head but hesitated as he looked in to get more signs from Molina, his catcher. Third base umpire Rick Reed flagged Ortiz for the violation and waved Fullmer home.

“Bengie was giving the signs, and I didn’t wait for him to finish,” said Ortiz, who gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings but struggled with his control. “I made a little move, and he called a balk.”

Ortiz escaped further damage by getting Jose Cruz Jr. to pop to short and Craig Grebeck to fly out to center.

Vaughn doubled to open the sixth, and it appeared he would score easily when Garret Anderson hammered a single to right-center.

But as he approached third, Vaughn looked back for a moment to make sure the ball had dropped, and that broke his rhythm. He stutter-stepped near third, stepped inside the bag and headed home.

The Blue Jays noticed immediately and appealed, and Reed called Vaughn out, with little objection from Vaughn or Manager Mike Scioscia.

“I looked back . . . it was just stupid, really,” Vaughn said. “It should have been a clear-cut play. That’s never happened to me.”

Said Scioscia: “I bet you that’s the only time that happens this year.”

Vaughn’s mistake didn’t cost the Angels the game. But as good as Escobar was, and as explosive as the Blue Jays were in the eighth, the Angels couldn’t help thinking they let a victory slip away.

They had a runner on third with one out in the first and second innings, and both times failed to score. Garret Anderson bounced into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the first and Molina popped to shallow right--Troy Glaus wasn’t about to test Raul Mondesi’s arm--and Gil grounded out in the second.

“You see a 7-1 final, but we very easily could have won this game,” Scioscia said. “Our offensive execution the last three games has not been what it should be, and we had some breakdowns tonight. But you talk about the glass being half-full, the way Ortiz threw the ball was very encouraging.”

Neither Ortiz nor Molina were as impressed as Scioscia. Ortiz’s velocity was good--he hit 95 mph with some fastballs--and his shoulder, with the slightly torn labrum, felt strong. But Ortiz’s command was not sharp.

“I don’t think he was on his game, even though his numbers were pretty good,” Molina said. “His control wasn’t there. He left too many fastballs belt-high over the middle. He usually throws more to the corners. It was a so-so game for him.”

Ortiz wasn’t happy with his control, saying he pitched behind in the count too much, but he had at least one reason to smile.

“Thank you God,” he said, “my shoulder is perfect.”

On a night the Angels were anything but.

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DODGERS RAINED OUT: Monday’s postponement will allow Manager Davey Johnson to skip Carlos Perez’s spot; Orel Hershiser starts Wednesday. Page 5