The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 47

C8 THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1995 LOS ANGELES TIMES AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP ANGELS ON DECK Twins Still Can't Hit One Witt i i I' ft I I A I Opponent Baltimore Orioles, four games. Site Anaheim Stadium. TV Channel 5 tonight, Channel 4 Friday, Prime Sports Saturday. Radlo-KMPC (710). Records Angels 66-43, Orioles 51-58 Record vs.

Orioles 2-4. Angel update The Angels, the top-scoring team in the majors, were on a pace to score 876 runs before Wednesday night's game, 10 more than the club record set in 162 games in 1979. If they maintain their lead in runs, they will become the first team in history to go from last place (543 runs in 1994) to first. Entering Wednesday's game, Angel starters were 21-9 with a 4.74 earned-run average since the All-Star break. J.T.

Snow, who had gone hitless for four consecutive games for the first time this season, snapped an 0-for-16 skid with a two-run homer in the third inning Wednesday. Oriole update Cal Ripken who will be playing in his consecutive game tonight, will also be celebrating his 35th birthday. He's on a pace to break Lou Gehrig's record Sept. 6 against the Angels in Baltimore. Right-hander Mike Mussina, who had an eight -game winning streak snapped earlier this month, is holding opponents to a .240 batting average, sixth-best in the American League.

The Orioles, who rank last in the league in team batting average, do not have a batter in the top 10 in batting or runs batted in. Pitching matchups The Angels' Chuck Finley (12-8) vs. Jamie Moyer (8-4) tonight at 7, Mark Langston (13-2) vs. Scott Erickson (8-10) Friday at 8, Brian Anderson (6-5) vs. Kevin Brown (5-8) Saturday at 7, Mike Harkey (7-8) vs.

Mike Mussina (14-7) Sunday atl. -JOHNWEYLER From Associated Press Bobby Witt wishes he could pitch against the Minnesota Twins in every game. Witt scattered nine hits Wednesday night and Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez homered as the Texas Rangers rolled to a 9-1 victory over the Twins at Arlington. Witt barely missed his eighth career shutout as the Twins put together four singles in the ninth for their lone run. "I would have loved to have the shutout," said Witt, who is 14-5 lifetime against the Twins.

"It's been a while since I got that kind of run support. This is a potent offense and it makes you want to do your job. It makes it easy on me." Rookie Jose Parra (1-2) took the loss for the Twins, giving up nine hits, two of them homers, and eight runs in four-plus innings. Texas hit Parra early and often as Witt coasted to his second victory in three decisions since joining the Rangers. Witt won without a strikeout.

Cleveland 6, Toronto 5 Albert Belle's homer triggered a three-run sixth inning at Toronto. Belle sent Giovanni Carrara's first pitch in the sixth over the wall in left, his 29th of the season, closing Toronto's lead to 5-4. After the homer, the Indians loaded the bases off Carrara (1-3) with two walks and a single. One out later, Kenny Lofton hit a roller up the middle that Roberto Alomar stopped. But second base umpire Durwood Merrill ruled that Alomar's relay to Tomas Perez at second was late, even though replays showed that the sliding Man- ANGELS Continued from CI nine.

The Red Sox loaded the bases in the sixth on three walks by Angel starter Jim Abbott. But Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann went I to right-handed reliever Mike James, who struck out Willie McGee and got John Valentin to pop to first to end the inning. James pitched a scoreless seventh inning, and Troy Percival struck out two of three batters he faced in the eighth. Percival also retired the side in the ninth before giving way to Smith to start the 10th. The Angels had runners on sec-.

ond and third with two out in the eighth, but Boston reliever Mike Stanton 1 -0 struck out J.T. Snow to end the inning. Stanton then struck out two of three in the ninth to send the game into extra innings. Boston had snapped a 3-3 tie with two runs in the fifth, as Chris James doubled and scored on Luis Alicea's single to right. Alicea took second when Salmon's throw got by catcher Jorge Fabregas, and he scored when Valentin dumped a single into center field.

But the Angels bounced back with two in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back home runs by Salmon and Chili Davis, the switch-hitter who was batting right-handed against right-handed knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Snow, who homered in the third inning, almost made it three in a row when he drove a pitch to deep left field, but Greenwell made a leaping grab about a foot above the fence, robbing Snow of a home run. In what must be an alarming trend to Lachemann, the Angels had another rocky first inning Wednesday night, as Abbott sur- rendered three runs, two on Jose Canseco's home run to left field. The Angels have given up two or more runs in the first inning in five of their past six games. Canseco, hampered by numerous injuries early in the season, has been on a tear the past nine days, Associated Press Texas second baseman Mark McLemore beats shortstop Benji Gil to a pop fly by Chip Hale.

ny Ramirez was still roughly two feet short of the bag. Detroit 7, Chicago 5 Lou Whi-taker's three-run pinch homer in the ninth inning lifted the Tigers at Detroit, preventing a sweep of the three-game series. Roberto Hernandez (2-6), who started the ninth inning seeking his 22nd save, gave up an infield single to Alan Milt Cuy-ler reached on a sacrifice bunt, and Trammell went to third on a throwing error by Robin Ventura, his second and one of four White Sox errors in the game. After Bobby Higginson popped out, Whitaker took Hernandez to a full count, then drilled a shot off the facing of the second deck in right for his 12th home run. It was the ninth blown save of ALHAMBRA CHRYSLERJEEP SB '95 Grand Cherokee i Mom i the year for Hernandez.

Oakland 2, New York i Steve Wojciechowski, making his sixth major league start, gave up four hits in 5Va innings as the Athletics completed a three-game sweep at Oakland. 'JTt Wojciechowski, known by teammates as "Wojo," is tied wiUt'U others for the longest surname in major league history. His name is pronounced "Wo-ji-COW-ski." The Yankees carefully avoided saying his name as they praised Wojciechowski (2-2). i Brent Gates, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high .13 games with two singles, and Erie Helfand had RBI singles in the fourth for the A's. Wade Boggs had a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth, his career hit, for the New York runV Baltimore 7, Seattle 1 Rookie left-hander Rick Krivda pitched six strong innings and Rafael Palmeiro hit his 28th home run as the Orioles beat the Mariners in Seattle.

Krivda (2-2), making his seventh major league start, gave up an RBI single to Edgar Martinez, the AL's leading hitter, in the first inning, but otherwise dominated the Mariners. Seattle had eight hits off Krivda, who struck out a ca-reer-best nine and walked Palmeiro, who has a chance to better his career-best 37 home runs for Texas in 1993, homered off rookie Bob Wolcott (1-1) in the first inning. He also homered in Baltimore's 2-1 victory Tuesday night. mm 8'x8'x40' 8'x8'x30' S'xeorS'xffxIO RFRIGRATD UNITS AVAILABIC We Can Deliver 6 on the Ground, Use It Immedlatelv. Mini Slorans On Your Own ALUMINUM STFft SUPER STRONG FLOORS (tv-x-y kt a r'-, d'f 10 441- KC4C 15 sum I ID STERNS 3 SanatffntaJhiA Just east of Pasadena in Arcadia 818 574 RACE ifllll -BH ill SALE ire Wfcf EXACTA RACE 1 RACE I mm $5 x-i- MURRAY Continued from CI has pitched in 1,200.

Cy Young won 511 carer games. My candidate has won 68. So, what is Lee Arthur Smith of the Angels doing headed for the hall of history, where he will join not only the great Cy Young but Walter Johnson, who started 666 games, finished 531, won 417 and pitched 5,914 innings? I'll tell you: Lee Arthur Smith is the best one-inning pitcher the game ever saw. And Lee Arthur is the best at smuggling a game into the clubhouse in history. The game has changed today.

They don't throw that beanbag Johnson threw and Cy Young before him. The complete-game pitcher is becoming as extinct as the tyrannosaurus Rex. They all belong in Jurassic Park. Even the great Maddux threw only 10 last year and that was enough to lead the league. David Cone, who won the Cy Young in the American League, threw only four.

The ball today is as different from the one pitched at the turn of the century as a new Titleist is from the gutta percha Laurie Au-chterlonie played- It's so alive, it almost glows in the dark and would set off alarms on an airline luggage belt. So, the grand old game invented a new measurement of stardom, the "save." The star of the staff is not necessarily the guy who can pitch nine faultless innings every fifth day. It's the guy who can pitch one faultless inning four times a week. Lee Smith hasn't started any games since 1982. But he has finished hundreds.

He hasn't started any games this season, either. But he has finished 40. He has finished every game he has pitched in. He has saved 30. "Save" is the four-letter word WW-1 CRAIG WALLACE CHAPMAN LA.

Times J.T. Snow is congratulated after his two-run home run in the third inning tied the game at 3-3. Does he think about the Hall of Fame? Smith laughs. "I hope to postpone it indefinitely. You don't get in the Hall of Fame till five years after you're out of baseball and I like to think I'm still too decently effective to get out of baseball for quite awhile." Does he remember when he first became a relief pitcher? Was it because his fastball tailed off in the later innings? Smith smiles.

"No. It was when they found out I could throw three, four, five times a week." Smith was out pitching while starting pitchers were still icing down their elbows. It was the great Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, a teammate at Chicago at the time, who "saved" him. Fergie simplified his delivery, Smith recalls, taught him a slider and a forkball and how to set up hitters. The role of savior suits Lee just fine.

Sometimes, ballplayers who know their services won't be required till the late innings and the late hours curl up on the training table and doze through the early game. Smith sits in the corner of the dugout and studies hitters. The downside is, the only thing you can really do with a game is lose it. For a reliever to get a win, the team has to make up a deficit or score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. But since Lee doesn't go in there except with a lead, for him to get a win means he lets the other team go ahead.

His 464 saves show how seldom that happens. The last of the big-time savers should go directly to Cooperstown with his eventual hoard of 500 or more saves. If a dollar saved is a dollar earned, than a game saved can be a pennant earned. Cy Young might not have needed a saver, but today's pitchers need a good one. And Lee Smith is the best miser in the game.

In the third, Toms River scored on two walks, a stolen base and a fielder's choice and had a man on first with two out when Gaynor stepped to the plate. "That was a great catch," Toms River Coach Mike Gaynor said. "A thing like that can change the tide of a ballgame. It hurt us. It would've picked up any team." After the game, all thoughts quickly turned to the rematch with Spring.

Yorba Hills players say the Texas players gloated after their last victory over them. Yorba Hills is 18-2. Toms River ended its season 21-5. The U.S. champion plays the winner of today's 10:30 a.m.

game between Taiwan and the Dominican Republic in the World Series final on Saturday. xi 1 going 17 for 36 (.472) with five homers and 11 runs batted in to raise his average from .288 to .313. The Red Sox designated hitter has a .385 career average (10 for 26) with three homers against Abbott. He also ended Abbott's string of 55 consecutive innings without giving up a homer, dating back to July 7. Boston scored earlier in the first when Valentin reached on third baseman Tony Phillips' fielding error, stole second and came home on Mo Vaughn's single to center.

Wakefield had the Angels baffled during the first two innings, but the Angels caught up to a few knuckleballs, got in the way of another, and took advantage of a few rare fastballs to score three in the third inning Davis (run-scoring single) and Snow (two-run homer) doing the honors. Lee Smith hasn't started any games since 1982. But he has finished hundreds of them. that has Smith on his way to Cooperstown. They codified a major league save a few decades ago so that now you get credited with one if you safely berth a game in which you not only are the finishing pitcher but you go into an inning with a lead of no more than three runs and preserve it or you come in with the winning run either on base, on deck or at the plate and you stifle it.

This is where Lee Smith's statistics range alongside the Hall of Famers' of yore. This is his ticket to Cooperstown. He has saved 464 games lifetime, the most of anyone. He holds the National League record of 340. And, while he started hardly any of them, Lee Smith has appeared in more games than Cy Young (930 to Young's 906) or Johnson (Walter appeared in 802 games).

On the Angels, Lee Smith is kind of like everybody's favorite uncle. He chuckles a lot, never gets ruffled. A massive man (6 feet 6, 270) he is a terrifying specimen on the mound. If he scowled, you have the feeling the batter would get in another line of work. helped Yorba Hills stay alive in the Little League World Series with an 8-3 victory Wednesday over Toms River, N.J.

The victory set up a rematch in the U.S. championship game today at 1:30 p.m. (PST) between Yorba Hills and Spring, which defeated Yorba Hills, 8-2, Tuesday. "That play sparked our club," Yorba Hills Manager Roy Watson said. "David is a very aggressive athlete.

If he has to dive through a fence to get a ball, he'll do it." Nicholson managed to hold onto the ball despite hanging by the waist over the rail of the four-foot green wooden fence. The catch quieted Toms River after Yorba Hills led, 4-0, on two-run homers by Robert Nesbitt and pitcher Matt Campbell. MgH 4 fcSTEDLYNN 111 tX0? a tun nglmmmmm wwn uc9 IfcLL cut 4. tan closed end lease, on approved credit, to start $3578.97, total ol pymts $5278.56 tax, res $22,671.43. (vin SC 783167) 818-3084500 Ask For Ron, Bob or Tuck FAIRPLEX PARK I-IO Fwy to Fairplex Dr.

in Pomona (909)623 3111 WAYWARD PIRATE inJ JSiS "LthSUlt kZZ BAJiMA 9 10 11 KENERCV LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES Yorba Hills Makes the Biggest Play Pay Off SlOO.QOD Osunitas Handicap. Saturday. $250,000 Del Mar Debutante. Sunday. Baseball: Nicholson's catch robs Toms River of homer in 8-3 victory, earning berth in U.S.

final. By PAUL McLEOD TIMES STAFF WRITER WILLIAMSPORT, Nicholson didn't know at first just how big a play it would be. All he saw was the ball leaving the bat and heading high over his head Into deep center field. "Nicholson raced to the Lamade Stadium wall, leaped and snagged the ball as it flew downward past the fence. The catch not only robbed Colin Gaynor of a two-run home run, it Satellite Wagering From Del Mar.

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