Ortiz Shows Right Stuff in Victory Over the Royals

Pitcher Ramon Ortiz sauntered off the mound at Edison Field without a care in the world Sunday. As he strolled to the dugout, he waved his cap to fans, who stood and cheered.

This was a day Ortiz tapped his vast potential as a phenom, instead of perpetuating his reputation as an enigma. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run in the Angels’ 7-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Catcher Jorge Fabregas saw this coming hours earlier.

“When we were warming up in the bullpen, he looked different,” Fabregas said. “He was relaxed, almost loosey goosey. For Ramon, that’s locked in. When he runs into trouble is when he gets tight. Today, he showed what Ramon Ortiz is all about.”

Ortiz at least portrayed the good side of his Jekyll and Hyde pitching abilities. He was somewhat dominating in winning for the first time since April 28, retiring 11 consecutive batters from the fifth inning until being lifted with two outs in the eighth.

“I got the ball and threw a strike, I got the ball and threw a strike,” Ortiz said. “I thought to myself, ‘This is good.’ ”

Angel starting pitchers have been on their game of late. They are 4-1 with a 1.88 earned-run average while giving the Angels seven quality starts in the last eight games.

Ortiz was the one who hadn’t measured up during that stretch. He labored through five innings Tuesday, leaving with no outs in the sixth after throwing 101 pitches. Only 54 were strikes.

On Sunday, he thew 117 pitches, 81 of which were strikes.

“That was unreal,” Fabregas said.

No one has ever questioned Ortiz’s Superman-like stuff, the 95-mile-per-hour fastball that he combines with a gotcha changeup. There have just been too many Kryptonite moments.

He has not always handled difficult situations with calmness and grace.

The test Sunday came when Kansas City’s A.J. Hinch led off the third by smacking an inside fastball off the left-field foul pole, tying the score, 1-1.

An Ortiz meltdown was certainly a possibility, especially after Endy Chavez followed with a single to center field. But instead of imploding, Ortiz retired the next three batters.

“After the home run, Jorge came out and said, ‘It’s OK,’ ” Ortiz said. “The guy hit a good pitch. I just had to forget about it.”

Said Fabregas: “He went right back to throwing inside. I think part of his problem is he shies away from pitching inside after giving up hits. He stayed there today.”

Fabregas has seen it go the other way.

“Sometimes, when you’re talking to him, he isn’t listening because he’s too tight,” Fabregas said.

Which has frustrated the Angels. Ortiz was sent to the minors, then recalled, sent down and recalled again in a yo-yo existence last season, one that matched his performances: up and down.

After being recalled on Aug. 8, he topped his idol, Pedro Martinez, by tossing a two-hitter against Boston. He was 0-3 with a 5.14 ERA in his next four starts.

That inconsistency spilled over into this season. He won his first two starts, but had a 5.45 ERA in the five starts since his last victory.

That elevator ride reached the penthouse Sunday. He struck out four and walked only one. The Royals had only two hits, one an infield single, between the third and eighth innings.

“Ramon went after hitters with his fastball,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He showed me a lot better repeat pitches with his fastball.”

Now if Ortiz can just show Scioscia a repeat performance next time.