Angels Are in Too Deep

Going long against Arizona right-hander Curt Schilling won’t necessarily get you very far.

Only one pitcher in baseball has given up more home runs this season--San Diego’s Woody Williams--than Schilling, who was tagged for Nos. 25 and 26 Friday night, but like so many Schilling opponents, the Angels had little to show for their efforts in a 6-2 interleague loss to the Diamondbacks before 32,777 in Edison Field.

That’s because no one was on base when Scott Spiezio homered in the second inning and Garret Anderson homered in the sixth. No one ever seems to be on base when Schilling gives up a homer--of the 26 he has given up, 23 have been solo shots.

As a result, Schilling leads the major leagues in victories. He became baseball’s first 13-game winner after giving up two runs on nine hits in 8 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking none to improve to 13-4.

“That’s been Schilling’s thing his whole career--he only gives up solo home runs,” Arizona Manager Bob Brenly said. “I hate to throw out the names of hall of famers, but it worked for Jim Palmer and Catfish Hunter. They didn’t beat themselves with walks, and they usually gave up solo home runs.

“No one likes to give up home runs, but Curt doesn’t put himself in situations where a home run puts three points on the board.”

Schilling, the former Philadelphia Phillie ace, invoked the name of another hall of famer when describing his feelings toward the home run.

“I talked to Robin Roberts a long time ago, and he said solo home runs aren’t going to beat you,” Schilling said. “I’ve had a couple games where I’ve given up a few home runs, and that’s all the runs the other team has gotten. They’re going to happen. Just don’t let them beat you.”

Schilling hasn’t. He has a 3.15 earned-run average and has given up only 54 runs in 20 games, 30 the direct result of home runs. He has walked 22 for an average of 1.3 walks per nine innings, third fewest in the National League behind the Mets’ Rick Reed and the Braves’ Greg Maddux.

“In a way, that’s why he gives up so many home runs--there’s no one on base, and he comes right after you,” Brenly said. “You’re going to miss sometimes with your fastball, and big league hitters will hit mistakes.”

Schilling didn’t make many Friday night in snapping the Angels’ five-game winning streak and Arizona’s five-game losing streak, a dreadful stretch in which the Diamondbacks batted .174 (27 for 155) and scored a mere four runs.

Luis Gonzalez keyed a 10-hit attack with three hits, including a two-run home run and an RBI double that brought his major league-leading RBI total to 89, and the Diamondbacks finally solved Angel starter Ismael Valdes in the sixth inning.

Valdes had cruised through the first five innings, blanking Arizona on three hits, and his fastball had a little extra zip, hitting 92 mph on the speed gun several times.

But Jay Bell singled to lead off the sixth, and Gonzalez, a career .371 hitter with five home runs against Valdes, lined a 3-and-1 fastball over the wall in center for his 36th home run of the season and a 2-1 lead.

Gonzalez’s shot snapped Arizona’s 58-inning homerless streak, the longest drought in franchise history. The Diamondbacks had gone six games without a homer, dating to Gonzalez’s solo blast off Shane Reynolds in the first inning July 4 against Houston.

The Angels had also gone 48 consecutive innings without trailing in a game, dating to a 1-0 second-inning deficit against Oakland on July 5.

The Diamondbacks weren’t through. Mark Grace, who entered with a .375 career average against Valdes, sent a towering fly ball over the wall in right-center for his 10th homer of the season and a 3-1 lead.

The Angels countered in the bottom of the sixth when Anderson reached the right-field seats near the foul pole for his 16th home run, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

But Arizona came right back, scoring twice off Angel reliever Ben Weber in the eighth, which included Gonzalez’s RBI double, and once off reliever Mike Holtz in the ninth.

“This game runs in crazy cycles, but one thing I’m sure of is, stick around for a few days and it will change,” Brenly said. “We gave so much credit to opposing pitchers it was ridiculous. We had some well-pitched games against us, but we’re a better offensive team than we showed in the last five games.”