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Friday, Sep. 8 10:05pm ET
Ortiz pitches Angels past O's | |||||
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The highlight of Ramon Ortiz's season was his complete-game victory over Pedro Martinez and Boston last month. The Anaheim rookie's latest win wasn't all that shabby, either. Winning for the first time since that dramatic victory over the Red Sox on Aug. 8, Ortiz held Baltimore to one run on three hits over 7 2-3 innings as the Angels edged the Orioles 2-1 Friday night. "I think we saw the way Ramon Ortiz can pitch," Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia said. "Even though his command left him for short times, he bent but didn't break and made great pitches when he needed to. He kept his poise." Ortiz (5-5) struck out five and walked four in winning for the first time in six starts. "I had command of all of my pitches," Ortiz said, speaking through an interpreter. Angels catcher Bengie Molina said Ortiz was more composed and mixed his pitches up better than he had in recent games. "Another thing he did was pitch faster," Molina said. "That gives him a lot less time to think about the game and just make his pitches. Just hurry up and do it." Ortiz, asked if the outing compared with his 2-1 win over the Red Sox, smiled and replied, "It was very close. But it was the ultimate high against Pedro." Troy Percival pitched a perfect ninth against the Orioles for his 27th save in 36 chances. Benji Gil's solo shot, his sixth, in the sixth inning off Pat Rapp (7-11) provided the go-ahead run. Chris Richard had drawn the Orioles even in the fifth with his eighth homer, a one-out drive over the fence in center on a 3-1 pitch from Ortiz. Anaheim took its first lead in the second inning on Darin Erstad's RBI single. Ortiz had lost three of his last five starts and was rocked for nine runs on eight hits in his previous outing, although he got no decision in the Angels' 13-12 loss to the Chicago White Sox. This time, he had a 2-1 count on Brady Anderson with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth when Mike Holtz relieved and got Anderson on a pop fly. "I think Ramon was thinking about ending it there and was getting overly aggressive," Scioscia said. "He was getting out of his mechanics, and even three pitches into the count, we thought it was time to go with Mike." Rapp gave up two runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out two, walked three and hit a batter as he lost for the fifth time in his last seven starts. Coming off a victory at Cleveland last Sunday, he was trying to win consecutive starts for the first time since April. "I feel like I've been throwing the ball well and keeping the team in the game. We just haven't been able to get the hits when we needed them," Rapp said. "We had only three hits tonight, and unless they were three homers, there's no chance." The Orioles again were without slugger Albert Belle, who was examined by doctors in Baltimore on Wednesday and is listed as day-to-day with inflammation in his right hip. Belle has missed four games because of the injury and left the stadium early in Friday's contest. He is batting just .215 in his past 39 games and has only four homers in his past 59 games. Game notesThe Angels announced they have agreed to terms with RHP Chris Bootcheck, who was the team's second pick in the first round of the 2000 free agent draft, the 28th player taken. He had a 9-2 record and 3.76 ERA for Auburn last season. His father, Dan, played in the Detroit Tigers' organization from 1966-73. ... When RHP Luis Rivera makes his Orioles debut, he will be their 50th player of the year, a club high. He also will be their 22nd pitcher of the season, which is tied for the second most in club history. ... The Angels' Mo Vaughn was back at first base after being the DH in the two previous games because of a sore left ankle. He went 1-for-4. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Baltimore Clubhouse Anaheim Clubhouse RECAPS NY Yankees 4 Boston 0
Anaheim 2
Pittsburgh 3
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