Angels Don’t Get Caught Napping

Their offense needed a spark, but new leadoff batter Rickey Henderson barely provided a flicker Thursday, going 0 for 5 with a stolen base in the Angels’ 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Of course, Henderson should be much more effective after a full night’s sleep.

Thursday turned into a travel odyssey for Henderson, who had been acquired from the San Diego Padres for three minor leaguers Wednesday. He boarded a plane in San Diego at 11:30 Wednesday night, flew to Ontario, then took a red-eye flight to St. Louis.

After a 2 1/2-hour layover, Henderson caught another flight to Milwaukee, arriving at County Stadium on Thursday about 2 1/2 hours before the 1 o’clock (CDT) game. He had not slept.

“I thought it would be a hop, skip and a jump to get here,” a bleary-eyed Henderson said. “They didn’t tell me I was going like that.”

Henderson said he could have waited a day to report to the Angels but wanted to jump right into the excitement of a division race. He made it through Thursday on adrenaline, but that began to wear off after the game.

“I’m about ready to pass out,” Henderson said after the Angels had ended a three-game losing streak. “I told the guys if we went extra innings, they’d have to tote me to bed. But we won the game, that’s what counts. They picked me up today, and that’s a good sign.”

The battery of pitcher Dennis Springer and catcher Todd Greene provided the big boosts. Springer threw a six-hitter for his third complete game of the season, walking none and retiring the last 11 batters, and Greene hit a three-run homer off the left-field foul pole in the fourth.

Jack Howell homered in the ninth, and Luis Alicea, battling a six-for-56 slump over the previous 19 games, had three singles. Alicea also made three fine plays, ranging far to his left to field two grounders and turning Jeromy Burnitz’s two-hop smash up the middle into a double play in the sixth.

“I thought we swung the bats better today,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “I don’t know why, but we did. We needed a win, and Dennis came in and pitched like he’s capable of pitching.”

Springer’s knuckleball baffled the free-swinging Brewers all afternoon, mainly because the right-hander changed speeds so effectively. His pitches were clocked between 47 mph and 64 mph.

Collins had flame-throwing closer Troy Percival warming up in the ninth, but Springer breezed through the inning, completing a snappy, 107-pitch effort that took only 2 hours 23 minutes.

“I’ve never seen a pitcher go nine innings throwing it that slow,” Brewer Manager Phil Garner said. “I was cheering when they told me Percival was warming up. Why would they take this guy out? I’d let him pitch [today].”

Springer (8-5) gave up the run in the second when Jeff Cirillo singled, Burnitz doubled and Mark Loretta hit a sacrifice fly, driving in Cirillo, who survived a bone-crushing collision with Greene at the plate.

Greene then instigated his own violent collision in the fourth--between a baseball and his bat--when he smashed a 0-and-2 fastball by Jose Mercedes off the foul pole for his seventh homer of the season and a 4-1 lead. The Angels had tied the score in the fourth on Darin Erstad’s double and an error.

“I’ve got the same swing whether it’s 0-2 or 2-0,” Greene said. “I’m not going to be a slap hitter. That’s not what got me here.”

With runners at first and third and the score tied, 1-1, Collins had encouraged Greene to shorten his swing with two strikes and shoot for a single or a sacrifice fly.

“That tells you how smart we are,” Collins said. “He swings aggressively every time. He’s not going to get cheated.”

Springer, however, seemed to cheat himself Thursday. He threw one of his best games of the season, but his efficiency left him little time to enjoy it.

“But it’s actually kind of fun to get out of here so quickly,” he said. “Although there’s not much to do around here. . . . I guess I could go back to the hotel and take a nap.”

He and Henderson.

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