Even Schofield Creates Thunder for Angels, 13-2

MINNEAPOLIS —  In the flood of a six-run inning and a 13-run output, Dick Schofield’s two-run single seems no more than a drop in the bucket.

But measured against his previous offensive contributions this season, it was a tidal wave.

For the first time in 14 at-bats this season with runners in scoring position, Schofield met with success. Schofield, who lagged behind every other major leaguer with one run batted in to show for 137 at-bats, drove in the tying and go-ahead runs Tuesday in the Angels’ 13-2 victory at the Metrodome.

The spree gave the Angels season-highs in runs and hits (20) and margin of victory, besides keeping them out of last place in the American League West.

“I don’t want to talk about what I haven’t done and what’s going to happen,” said Schofield, who was hitless in 13 at-bats before his hit off Anderson (4-14).

“It’s obvious. Any time you get a hit that puts your team ahead, especially when I haven’t driven in other runs, it’s a boost. But I’m not the cause of 13 runs--there were eight other guys. The runs came in bunches.”

Dave Winfield, Lance Parrish, Dante Bichette and Kent Anderson each got three hits. Winfield drove in three runs and Donnie Hill, Schofield and Lee Stevens each drove in two as the Angels overcame a 2-0 deficit to swamp Allan Anderson and Tim Drummond and prompt Twin Manager Tom Kelly to bring in outfielder John Moses to pitch the ninth.

“It was like the tide came in and rolled out and we went with it,” Allan Anderson said.

The Angels’ offensive tide kept Chuck Finley (14-4) on a 20-victory pace. The 27-year-old left-hander gave up an unearned run in the first and a leadoff home run to Shane Mack in the third, but kept the Angels in the game until they broke it open in the sixth.

Finley, who took the staff lead with his fourth complete game, lowered his earned-run average to 2.29, second to the 2.20 of the Boston Red Sox’s Roger Clemens. Finley is tied for second in the AL in victories behind the 16 of the Oakland Athletics’ Bob Welch.

“A pitcher that doesn’t allow big innings is generally going to win because the game doesn’t become discouraging for your club,” said Angel Manager Doug Rader, who missed the festivities after being ejected in the fourth inning for arguing home plate umpire Tim McClelland’s call on Brian Downing’s attempt to score from third on a fly ball to left.

“The danger of a big inning is that it’s going to become a fruitless day. You give up one, maybe two, you’re still in the hunt.”

The last Angel to win 20 was Nolan Ryan in 1974. After 20 starts Ryan was 10-6, four victories behind Finley’s pace. Bill Singer was 13-4 after 20 starts in 1973 and finished at 20-14.

“Winning 20 games puts you in the upper echelons,” Finley said. “Sure, I think about it. I’m a little bit ahead of myself from where I was last year. I’ll start to think about it a little more when I’m at 19. Fifteen is the most important thing in my mind right now.”

He was glad of the chance to cruise through the later innings. “It’s nice to go out and get that many runs,” Finley said. “You don’t have to start nit-picking around the plate.”

The Angels, who scored only 11 total runs in their previous four games, sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth. Bichette drove in the first run with a single to left, Schofield drove in two after Kent Anderson’s single and Hill kept it alive with a bases-loaded walk. Schofield was out on Devon White’s fielder’s choice grounder. Winfield’s second single of the inning scored two more before Drummond came in to get Parrish to fly to center.

After an RBI single by Kent Anderson in the sixth, Stevens’ second major league home run--a blast to center in the seventh-- made the score 9-2. Two more two-run innings completed the rout, as every Angel starter except Downing and Rick Schu drove in at least one run.

Angel Notes

Minnesota’s Brian Harper, a former Angel and graduate of San Pedro High, singled to left in his last at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 21 games, longest in the AL this season. The Cardinals’ Willie McGee has a 21-game streak in the NL. The longest in the majors this season was 23 by Philadelphia’s Lenny Dykstra.

Dave Winfield’s three RBIs gave him 1,478 for his career, moving him ahead of Billy Williams and into 27th place all-time. Dante Bichette’s run-scoring single in the fifth was the first run he had driven in other than with a home run since July 11. His previous eight RBIs came on five homers.

The Angels, 3-6 with one game left on this trip, were 12-16 in July. . . . Their six-run fifth inning was their biggest inning since a six-run inning June 26.