In a Battle of Witts, the Rangers Win, 5-0 : Texas’ Bobby Witt Beats the Angels’ Mike Witt With a Two-Hitter

It was a night made for puns, if not winning Angel baseball. Mike Witt started for the Angels, Bobby Witt started for the Texas Rangers, and before Friday evening was through, you knew someone was going to get out-Witted.

For six innings, this battle of Witts--OK, we’ll stop there--was a near standoff, save for that one ball Texas’ Pete Incaviglia deposited over the right-field fence. Mike was working on a three-hitter, Bobby had a two-hitter, and a tense 1-0 struggle entered the top of the seventh.

Soon, the struggle would be over.

With one out, Mike Witt suddenly reverted to the form that made him the only losing pitcher in the Angel rotation, and before the inning was complete, the Rangers would be well on their way to a 5-0 victory before 27,598 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

Mike Stanley got it all started, following Incaviglia’s leadoff ground-out with a single to center field. Scott Coolbaugh followed with a carbon copy, and the Rangers had runners on first and third for pinch-hitter Thad Bosley, the former Angel.

Bosley lined a double into the right-field corner to score Stanley for one run. Fred Manrique then bunted back to Witt for a successful squeeze to score another.

Finally, Jeff Kunkel added another single to right field to score Bosley, leaving the Angels down, 4-0, and sending one Witt out of the game.

The first two pitchers to emerge from the Angel bullpen, Bob McClure and Greg Minton, combined to yield a fifth run in the eighth inning, with McClure surrendering a double to Ruben Sierra and Minton giving up the Coolbaugh single that brought him home.

Meanwhile, Bobby Witt was putting the finishing touches on his first shutout of the season and a victory that would bring his final 1989 record to 12-13.

Witt allowed the Angels only a pair of singles--with just one exitting the infield. That came in the fourth inning on a line drive to center field by Brian Downing.

The only other Angel hit was a grounder deep into the hole at shortstop that Lance Parrish legged out in the fifth inning.

Witt also struck out 10 and walked three.

After walking Dick Schofield in the bottom of the fifth, Witt retired the last 14 Angels in order--striking out Chili Davis and Downing in the bottom of the ninth.

About the other Witt: Friday brought a close to his worst season since 1983, when he finished 7-14 with an earned-run average of 4.91. This year, Witt wound up 9-15--failing to reach double figures in wins for the first time in six season--with an ERA of 4.54.

Incaviglia’s home run was the 26th allowed this season by Witt, easiest the highest total on the Angel staff. (Kirk McCaskill is second with 15).

Witt went 1-5 in his last eight starts and 2-8 in 15 starts after July 9. An American League All-Star selection in 1986 and ‘87, Witt is a cumulative 22-31 in 1988 and ’89.

“I think it’s a godsend the season is over for him,” Angel Manager Doug Rader said. “He can regroup and work with (pitching coach Marcel Lachemann) over the winter and come back strong next year.”

But come back for whom?

A disappointment in each of his last two seasons, Witt is finishing the second year of a two-year, $2.8-million contract. The Angels are expecting to enter the Mark Langston free-agent sweepstakes with passion and, if successful, Mike Witt could be expendable.

If not, he still might be expendable. Witt’s name figures to be bandied around all winter in trade rumors, although Rader was trying to get a head start on defusing them.

“It’s a shame he’s had to go through a year like he’s had to go through,” Rader said, “but he’s not the first guy to go through it . . .

“All the pieces are there; we just need to put them together. He’s got a quality arm and he’s a quality guy. I don’t see how you can’t keep guys like that around.”

Witt’s final start of 1989 began fittingly enough--with an error. Angel second baseman Johnny Ray misplayed Manrique’s leadoff ground ball, and after a one-out walk to Rafael Palmiero, Witt was in trouble again, allowing Manrique to reach third on an infield out by Sierra.

But Witt temporarily pitched his way out of the predicament by striking out Harold Baines for the third out of the inning.

Before Witt recorded another out, however, Incaviglia had essentially decided Friday’s outcome. Incaviglia led off the second inning with his 21st home run of the season, and through six innings that was the difference in Witt vs. Witt.

Things bogged down quickly for Mike Witt in the seventh, and he never made it into the eighth. Replaced by McClure with two outs in the seventh, Witt left after allowing four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Finally, the Angels had reached Witt’s end. And for that, at least in 1989, both team and pitcher were grateful.

Angel Notes

That’s Incidental With An I : Pete Incaviglia’s second-inning home run against Mike Witt was the 100th homer of his career, which seemed a nice little achievement until Texas publicity director John Blake did some research. According to Blake, Incaviglia is now the all-time major league home run leader among players with last names beginning in I . Yes, before Incaviglia, that distinction belonged to Monte Irvin, who ended his career with 99 homers. The Iorg brothers were left in the dust a long time ago.

Upon doctor’s orders, Ranger second baseman Julio Franco is sitting out the remainder of the season. Franco injured his lower back last Saturday and underwent a battery of medical tests in Arlington, Tex., Thursday. All X-rays and bone scans proved negative, with the injury being diagnosed as a “severe muscle strain.” Fred Manrique started in place of Franco Friday night.

Angel owner Gene Autry turned 82 Friday, an event noted during the seventh-inning stretch when the Anaheim Stadium crowd, with prompting from public-address announcer Dennis Packer, broke into a chorus of “Happy Birthday.” More exhaustive research, this done by the Angel publicity staff, determined that the Angels are 11-12 in games played on Autry’s birthday.