Anderson Hits Stride in Victory

His body language can be maddening, particularly to an organization trying to give its image a makeover.

Garret Anderson glides along so effortlessly it looks as if he’s not even trying. Once in a while, though, the results prove it’s simply not true.

Thursday was a case in point. Anderson hammered the New York Yankees with perhaps his finest game in the major leagues, knocking in seven runs in a 14-3 Angel rout in front of 19,755 at Anaheim Stadium.

He hit his first career grand slam in the first inning, had a two-run double in the midst of the Angels’ five-run sixth and added a run-scoring double in the eighth.

“I know my numbers should be better than they are,” Anderson said. “I can’t sit around and cry about that. All I can do is go out and do what I can with what I have on that day.”

Anderson, who has 11 home runs and 58 runs batted in, hasn’t quite matched his 1995 figures of 16 homers and 69 RBIs.

“I feel just like I did yesterday. I still have to go out and play tomorrow,” Anderson said.

How long he continues to play for the Angels remains up in the air. His name has long been the subject of trade rumors.

Thursday’s performance surely will renew interest.

As for the Yankees, slumping instead of soaring, they looked very much like the Angels did at this time last year.

It was the Yankees’ fifth consecutive loss and their once comfortable lead in the American League East is only four games over second-place Baltimore and 5 1/2 over third-place Boston.

The Yankees were never in the game, trailing by four after one inning, seven after four and double digits later. Their starter lasted all of one inning. One reliever gave up four runs on three hits, making eight pitches--none of them good ones.

A five-run sixth against reliever Graeme Lloyd merely put the game out of reach for the Angels. It also underscored the Yankees’ faltering play lately.

Lloyd faced four batters, giving up three hits and an intentional walk and uncorking a wild pitch that hit the backstop on the fly. All four batters eventually scored.

“It’s frustrating right now,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “We’re better than this and we know it. I knew it would be a tough second half, but it’s been more than I bargained for.

“I can’t put the blame on [the players]. It’s got to turn around sooner rather than later. There’s a lot of tightness out there. Cecil [Fielder, who struck out three times] is trying to hit five-run homers.

“We have to think small.”

Neither Angel starter Pep Harris nor the Yankees’ Wally Whitehurst figures to be in their respective rotations next week. Harris’ spot will be taken by Jim Abbott when he returns from triple-A Vancouver when rosters are expanded to 40 players Sunday.

David Cone, back after having an aneurysm removed from his right arm, will make his first start since May 2 on Monday against Oakland.

But Harris, who gave up three runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings, fared far better than Whitehurst, who lasted just one inning.

“Whitehurst didn’t have anything,” Torre said.

Left-hander Mike Holtz (3-2) pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory for the Angels.

In the first four innings Thursday, the Angels had scored more runs (seven) than in three games against the Boston Red Sox (six).

Add Harris’ superb pitching to the mix and the Angels seemed to have the Yankees flustered again, as they ended a three-game losing streak.

Harris, making his third major league start, still hadn’t given up a hit going into the fifth. And if a seven-run lead wasn’t enough to ease any anxiety he might have felt about making his first start at Anaheim Stadium nothing would.

Of course, since little goes as expected for the Angels this year Harris began to falter in swift fashion in the fifth.

After a walk and a fielder’s choice, Joe Girardi hit a two-run homer into the left-field seats. Derek Jeter then singled and scored on Bernie Williams’ triple into the right-field corner.

Suddenly, the lead was only 7-3.