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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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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 notes
The 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.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Baltimore Clubhouse
Anaheim Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Yankees 4
Boston 0
Chi. White Sox 5
Cleveland 4
Toronto 3
Detroit 0
Texas 6
Kansas City 5
Anaheim 2
Baltimore 1
Tampa Bay 4
Oakland 0
Minnesota 4
Seattle 2
Houston 13
Chicago Cubs 10
Cincinnati 0
Pittsburgh 0
Pittsburgh 3
Cincinnati 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 2
Florida 1
Philadelphia 2
NY Mets 0
Atlanta 3
Montreal 2
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 5
Colorado 8
Los Angeles 5
San Diego 10
San Francisco 7
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