Witt and Parrish Lend a Hand as Angels Win, 6-3

CHICAGO —  For Mike Witt and his catcher, Lance Parrish, the Angels’ stagger of a stretch drive has been like a flashlight rendered useless in the dark.

Battery not included.

Missing in action since some time around, oh, mid-August, Witt and Parrish finally got together Sunday afternoon to make a contribution of consequence to the Angel playoff push, such as it is.

Winless since Aug. 16, Witt managed a course correction and Parrish, homerless since Aug. 19, provided further direction as the Angels defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6-3, at Comiskey Park to salvage a four-game split with the last-place team in the American League West.

Witt, 0-3 in his previous four starts and 1-6 in his previous 11, struggled for five innings but lasted long enough and pitched just well enough to benefit from the long-awaited return of the Angel offense.

Limited to a meager four runs during these first three games against the White Sox, the Angels Sunday broke out for 13 hits, including a home run and two singles from Parrish.

In the end, the victory proved significant because the Oakland Athletics keep losing to the Boston Red Sox. Almost against their will, the Angels have been dragged to within 2 1/2 games of the lead in the AL West, continuing to share second place with Kansas City.

That’s their slimmest deficit since Sept. 2 and, with 13 games remaining, the Angels have been granted a stay of execution, if not a return of real hope.

“We’re 2 1/2 back,” Angel Manager Doug Rader said. “We were in a good position to win all four here, but we also could’ve lost all four. I call it a push. We’re very fortunate to be where we are in the standings.”

Witt, the newly christened nine-game winner, had a more enthusiastic view.

“It’s a great move we made here,” said Witt (9-13). “Oakland went and hit a hot team. Now they go to Cleveland, a pretty good team, and we go to Minnesota, which has been hot.

“There’s definitely going to be a lot of scoreboard watching the next few days.”

But had the Angels done more than restore their self-respect in Chicago and not lost two games by scores of 3-1 and 2-1, the upcoming series in the Metrodome would be a truly exciting proposition.

“It could’ve been better,” said Parrish, addressing the state of the Angels. “But I suppose we could’ve lost all four and that really would’ve goofed us up. We’ll take what we can get.

“We got a little bit closer and we still have a chance if we keep creeping up. Eventually, it might happen.”

For three innings, however, Sunday’s Chicago finale, in Rader’s words, “looked like the same old ballgame.” The Angels still weren’t scoring and the White Sox still were winning, holding a 1-0 lead.

But in the fourth, Parrish began a two-out rally with a single to center field off Chicago starter Eric King (8-10). That hit was promptly followed by four more singles--by Jack Howell, Kent Anderson, Brian Downing and Mark McLemore--that resulted in a 3-1 Angel lead.

Witt had to sweat to protect it through five innings, the minimum he needed to escape with the victory. In those five innings, Witt yielded seven hits and a wild pitch, but because he stranded four runners, he left with a 3-2 lead.

When the Angels extended that to 4-2 by the sixth, Witt was at last headed for his second victory since July 9.

“It certainly must be a great relief for him,” Rader said. “It’s been a while since he’s seen a number in the left-hand column. If I was him, I know I’d be relieved.”

Which is one reason why Rader decided to have Witt relieved after the fifth inning. Might as well preserve the victory for Witt as long as he had the chance.

On came Bob McClure, who worked the sixth and seventh innings, followed by Greg Minton and Bryan Harvey, who finished up. Harvey completed the last 1 1/2 innings without giving up a hit, earning his 23rd save.

“He’d done all he could,” Rader said of Witt. “I really thought his stuff was starting to fall off a little bit. He started to get too careful--nothing real specific, just a preponderance of evidence that a change had to be made.”

And how did Witt feel about getting back that long-lost winning feeling?

“It’s weird because I realize what my record is,” he said. “But the big thing I’ve been trying to do lately is just keep us in the game--get enough outs so we have some numbers on the board before the other team scores.

“Right now, I wouldn’t be happy with my numbers, no matter what I end up with. So, to salvage the season, I want this team to win. My only goal now is for us to win it.”

Parrish, whose eighth-inning home run off Tom McCarthy was his 17th of the season, also has downscaled his personal expectations. Once, he used to carry pennant contenders in Detroit with the swing of his powerful bat. Now, with his batting average dipping into the .230s, Parrish simply wants to chip in.

“This has been a very frustrating period for me,” Parrish said. “I haven’t done much to help this team out. Hopefully, down the stretch, I’ll get my act together.”

And with 13 games left on the the Angel schedule, the time to act is now.

Angel Notes

Groping for any way to recharge his stagnant offense, Angel Manager Doug Rader settled upon a new top of the batting order: Brian Downing batting leadoff, followed by Mark McLemore. Combined, Downing and McLemore responded by reaching base five times--Downing on two doubles and a single, McLemore on a single and a walk. “I sat in here this morning and made out 15 different lineups,” Rader said. “Finally, I opted for the original one, and it worked out.” Based on Sunday’s success, Rader said the new lineup wouldn’t be a one-day experiment. “I wouldn’t think it would be,” he said. “We need to exercise some discipline at the top of the order. I know Brian’s comfortable batting leadoff. Hopefully, this will jump-start the offense.” . . . Having gone nearly a month without hitting a home run, Lance Parrish admitted his power outage was starting to weigh heavily on his mind. “Occasionally, you think about it,” he said, before adding with a grin, “But, geez, aside from home runs, I hadn’t got a hit in a while. Just a hit would be nice.” Before Sunday, Parrish hadn’t had a multi-hit game since Aug. 14.

Fun And Games: White Sox first baseman Steve Lyons entertained the Comiskey Park fans--and, for a few innings, Wally Joyner--with a tic-tac-toe game waged in the infield dirt. Lyons threw out the challenge in the first by drawing a tic-tac-toe board and a huge X in the dirt behind first base with his cleat. When Joyner took his position in the bottom of the inning, he countered with an O--and the duel was on. After three innings, Joyner had Lyons hopelessly blocked, so Lyons ended the match by sketching two quick Xs--giving him three in a row--and then scrawling “I CHEAT” in the dirt. . . . Meanwhile, back in the Angel locker room, rookie pitcher Mike Fetters was getting his major league indoctrination by way of clubhouse prank. Someone stole Fetters’ pants out of his locker stall and when he failed to flush out the culprit, Fetters was forced to head for the team bus wearing an Angel T-shirt and navy blue workout shorts under his tan sports jacket. “This is the new fad in California,” Fetters joked. “It’s going to be the look of the 90s.”

* NOT OVER THE HILL, OVER THE FENCE

Rick Dempsey’s home run in the 11th inning gives the Dodgers a 4-3 win. Bill Plaschke’s story, Page 3.