Lopez Feels at Home, Shuts Down Angels

Ever since Fernandomania swept across Southern California two decades ago, the Angels have longed for a Mexican star to call their own.

Mexican immigrants and their children, friends and relatives fill neighborhoods near Edison Field, in Anaheim and in Santa Ana.

The Angels have sent scouts to Mexico, signed affiliations with Mexican league teams, worked with the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, even imported a Mexican league team for an exhibition game, all in an attempt to win the loyalty and patronage of those potential fans.

The winning pitcher Tuesday was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. He still lives there. Unfortunately for the Angel players, and unfortunately for the Angel marketing department, Rodrigo Lopez pitches for the Baltimore Orioles.

Lopez and three relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, with Jay Gibbons hitting two solo home runs, and the Orioles beat the Angels, 3-0, before 18,521 at Edison Field.

“It felt great to pitch in California,” Lopez said. “I heard a lot of Mexican fans rooting for me. It felt really good.”

Lopez (7-3) scattered four singles over seven innings, as the Angels were shut out for the first time since May 7. The rookie lowered his earned-run average to 2.89, trailing only Boston’s Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez among American League pitchers.

In defeat, the Angels’ Ramon Ortiz pitched another splendid game. Ortiz (8-6) gave up two runs in eight innings, striking out seven. His 3.38 ERA ranks among the top 10 in the league.

Scott Schoeneweis, removed from the Angel rotation last week, entered the game in the ninth inning, in his first relief appearance since July 21, 1999. Gibbons hit his first pitch for a home run. Schoeneweis pitched to four batters, giving up two hits, and Matt Wise got the final out of the inning.

The Angels botched several chances to score, going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Lopez walked five batters and hit one, affording the Angels a fair share of baserunners.

“He did a great job,” Angel shortstop David Eckstein said. “When he got into trouble, he pitched out of it. He kept us off balance just enough.”

They ran into tough luck in the third inning, putting runners on first and second with none out, but Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson lined out.

In the fourth, with second and third and one out, Bengie Molina flied out, but Troy Glaus was running from third base on contact. By the time he retreated to the base, it was too late to tag.

Lopez, 26, is one of the year’s unlikely success stories. He pitched seven seasons, mostly undistinguished ones, in the San Diego organization. When the Padres finally gave him a shot in the major leagues, two years ago, he started six games, lost three and won none.

He shrugged and kept on pitching, summers and winters alike. He goes home every winter and pitches in the Mexican winter league, for the Culiacan Tomato Growers.

He was the pride of the Tomato Growers last winter, with a 10-2 record during the winter league season and a shutout in the championship game of the Caribbean World Series.

But he was just another arm in spring training, a guy with a non-roster invitation to camp and a uniform with No. 82 on the back. He won a spot in the bullpen--and changed his uniform number to 13--and pitched his way into the starting rotation.

“I wanted this opportunity in San Diego, but I never got it,” Lopez said. “Now I’m going to do whatever it takes to be successful.”

His presence in Anaheim on Tuesday evoked a bit of Dodger trivia.

Lopez and catcher Geronimo Gil, who was acquired from the Dodgers last July for reliever Mike Trombley, represent the first Mexican battery on a major league team since 1987, when Alex Trevino caught Fernando Valenzuela for the Dodgers.

“It feels good to come out here and pitch well,” Lopez said, “because Fernando Valenzuela did the same during his career in California.”

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Staff writer David Carrillo contributed to this story.