Twins Tag Ortiz Early, Angels Lose

It appeared to have all the makings of a classic home run derby.

Ramon Ortiz, tied for the major league lead with 13 homers allowed, was on the mound for the Angels. Rick Reed, right behind with 12 homers allowed, was starting for the Minnesota Twins.

It didn’t take long for Ortiz to put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack as Twin outfielder Jacque Jones hit Ortiz’s first pitch into the right-field seats and the Twins tagged Ortiz for two more homers in a 5-1 victory before 27,494 at Edison Field Friday.

Reed also gave up a home run, but he limited the Angels to a season-low three hits in a masterful 103-pitch performance.

“He’s the same every time you face him,” Angel center fielder Darin Erstad said. “Great control. Great movement. Nothing overpowering, but he picks you apart.”

Ortiz (4-5) has now surrendered 16 home runs in 64 2/3 innings, including seven in his last 13 1/3 innings. Last Saturday, Ortiz gave up a career-high four homers in a 10-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

“He’s going through a little stretch of not being able to get the ball in good locations early in the game to get his feet on the ground,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said of Ortiz. “He’s paid a price for it.”

Ortiz has kept the opposition in the park in only two of his nine starts--a 5-1 loss to Oakland on April 12 and 1-0 loss to Seattle on April 23.

“My location the last two games has been no good,” Ortiz said. “I’m throwing a lot of high pitches.”

The loss dropped the Angels three games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West. It also ended the Angels’ four-game winning streak and eight-game home winning streak. Still, they are 13-3 over the last 16 games at Edison Field since opening 1-8 in their first nine games at home.

The contraction-threatened Twins, who began the night tied with the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central, extended their winning streak to three games behind the 36-year-old Reed, who pitched his 11th career complete game.

Reed (5-2), acquired from the New York Mets in a trade last July for outfielder Matt Lawton, gave up a first-inning single to Erstad, a fifth-inning homer to Brad Fullmer and an eighth-inning single to Bengie Molina in his fourth three-hitter.

He struck out four and maintained his reputation as one of baseball’s top control pitchers by not walking a batter for the third consecutive game.

“Nothing looks that difficult to hit, but it’s just not in the spot you’re looking--it’s always on the borderline,” Angel outfielder Tim Salmon said. “If he’s not commanding his stuff, he’s probably going to get hit around. But if he is sharp and hitting corners like he was tonight, he can really get you off balance and shut you down.”

Reed, who improved to 4-1 lifetime against the Angels, said he struggled to control his curve ball early in the game but got by with control of his fastball.

“I got away with some pitches early, but I kept throwing the curve ball knowing that I would need it later in the game,” Reed said. “You have to have a little bit of luck on your side, and I think I had a lot of it tonight.”

Ortiz was not as fortunate.

Jones hit Ortiz’s initial offering for his ninth homer, the fourth time this season the former USC standout has led off a game with a home run.

In the third inning, Ortiz gave up consecutive singles to Jones and Cristian Guzman. Two outs later, Torii Hunter hit the first pitch over the wall in left-center field to put the Twins ahead, 4-0. It was Hunter’s American League-leading 13th homer.

“A solo shot is OK but with people on the base that’s no good,” Ortiz said.

The Twins went ahead, 5-0, in the fourth when A.J. Pierzynski hit his first homer of the season.

Ortiz gave up only one other hit before he was replaced by Donne Wall after walking Corey Koskie with one out in the eighth.

Reed finished the Angels in the ninth by getting Adam Kennedy and Erstad to ground out and by striking out Troy Glaus.