Monday, September 12, 2005 |
Random Angels Game Callback
September 12, 1985
California left July 55-46, two and a half games over Kansas City. August would find them assembling a nice little 16-13 record, including a four-game winning streak against the hapless Twins, whom they crushed 6-2 that month, and series wins against Detroit and division rival Oakland. The Angels left August as they entered it, 2.5 games ahead of second place Kansas City. But with one more game against the tough Yankees, three against middling Baltimore, three against lowly Detroit, and three against second-place Kansas City, the Angels had a tough schedule in the first two weeks of September.Sure enough, September proved their undoing. Going 4-6 against mediocre-to-strong opponents, the Angels found their situations exactly reversed from only a few days previous. It wasn't that the Angels were bad so much as the Royals had lit the fuse on a skyrocket that would take them to the postseason, a 13-2 stretch against Chicago, Milwaukee, California, and Oakland that they rode all the way to the World Series.
But for the moment, the Angels got to face the wretched Rangers, a welcome respite after such a rugged road trip and the unhappy results of losing the division lead at home to the Royals. The 51-87 Rangers were already eliminated from the postseason, a consequence of the comparatively large seven-team division. Mike Witt, the ace of the Angels' rotation, started that day. While his three earned runs over six innings wasn't fantastic, it did prove the former fourth-round draft pick could be relied upon to deliver even when he didn't have his best stuff -- or, as in this case, because he left the game early due to shoulder tightness. Anyway, all he had to be was better than Dave Stewart, who was getting a spot start that day. He was, leaving the game ahead by a run, 4-3.
It didn't work out so well for the Rangers, who were playing, according to manager Bobby Valentine, "for some satisfaction." Even though the announced crowd of 19,926 was fairly quiet, Valentine liked it better than what awaited his club back in Arlington: "Playing in this atmosphere is a lot better than performing before 322 season-ticket holders." Those few in the stands would have something to cheer about shortly, though, as Stewart, 0-6 on the year, allowed a leadoff double to catcher Bob Boone in the seventh. That was enough for Valentine, who called in Dwayne Henry, carrying an 0-1 record with a 1.80 ERA into the game. Henry promptly allowed a sac bunt to advance Boone to third, and a fielder's choice on a Bobby Grich groundball knocked in the winning run.
But the real story, as so often was the case with the early Angels, was the personal records, and in this case, it turned out to be Bobby Grich's solo leadoff homer in the second, his 142nd as an Angel, breaking the franchise record, and Donnie Moore's franchise-leading 26th save. Moore was on that night, blasting hard heaters past Texas hitters for a two-inning save, rare in the modern game. Manager Gene Mauch was impressed:
"[Donnie Moore] shows me more and more," Mauch said. "He threw two innings last night and is out there throwing 96 (m.p.h.) tonight. He's just amazing."The Angels went on to win it, 5-3, the final run driven in by a Daryl Sconiers pinch hit single. Even though the Angels would post a 14-13 record in September, it wouldn't prove enough to overcome the Royals, who beat them in the standings by one game at the end of the season.
As always, thanks to the Los Angeles Times, Baseball Reference, and Retrosheet for their invaluable assistance.
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