Anderson Powers Angels in 10th, 2-1

Kent Anderson half expected to be pinch-hit for, with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th inning Friday night.

He watched the signs from third base carefully, knowing the squeeze might be on.

Manager Doug Rader let him swing, and Anderson delivered a line-drive single to right-center field that gave the Angels a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles before 42,195 at Anaheim Stadium.

“Most of the time I get pinch-hit for,” said Anderson, who was batting .283 with only four runs batted in. “Tonight it didn’t happen. It worked out.”

The Angels loaded the bases with none out in the 10th inning on three consecutive walks. Stopper Gregg Olson issued back-to-back walks to Chili Davis and Lee Stevens before going to a 3-and-0 count against Johnny Ray, pinch-hitting for Lance Parrish and looking to bunt.

Curt Schilling relieved Olson, and completed the walk to Ray, loading the bases.

Pinch-hitter Brian Downing lifted a towering drive to left that barely hooked foul before popping out foul for the first out. That brought up Anderson.

Rader stuck with him, even with Dave Winfield on the bench, sitting out because of tightness in his hamstrings.

“One thing about Kent Anderson, he’s not a guy who would be awed by that situation. He’s got moxie,” Rader said.

Willie Fraser (4-3), who pitched four innings of relief, giving up two hits and retiring the final nine in a row, earned his second victory in three nights.

Olson (5-4) was the loser.

The victory prevented the Angels from falling into last, although it couldn’t keep them out of sixth place.

The Angels had a chance to win in the ninth, with runners on first and third and one out. But shortstop Cal Ripken fielded Max Venable’s grounder and threw out Dick Schofield at home for the second out, and Devon White grounded out to first for the final out.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead on a third-inning home run by Venable, a player who spent the 1988 season out of professional baseball after being cut in spring training by the Orioles.

Since being cut by the Orioles, Venable had gone eight for 25 against them with one home run when he stepped in against Pete Harnisch with no one on in the third inning. His homer to right-center field was his fourth of the season, and his second against the Orioles.

The Orioles would show their respect to Venable later--and slight White--when they twice chose to walk Venable intentionally to get to White with runners on base and two out.

It worked both times, White popping to short once and striking out the second time.

Bert Blyleven, the Angel starter, gave up one run on only four hits before being removed after six innings because of tightness in his right shoulder.

Blyleven was starting for the first time since July 30. He missed a scheduled start last Saturday after an auto accident last week involving his wife, Patricia, and three of the couple’s four children. None were seriously injured, although his son Tommy suffered two broken arms.

The Angels had a chance to pad their 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, but wasted it, leaving the bases loaded.

Donnie Hill led off with a standup double to right. Anderson drew a full-count walk, and Schofield sacrificed, very nearly safe himself.

The Orioles got the second out when Luis Polonia grounded out to second, bringing up Venable.

They walked him intentionally, loading the bases for White, who popped to short, ending the inning.

Blyleven, who entered the game with a 5.41 earned-run average, the highest on the Angel staff, gave up a single to the first batter of the game, Dave Gallagher.

But he did not allow another hit until Rene Gonzales singled in the third inning, and the third hit did not come until there were two out in the sixth inning, when Steve Finley lined a double deep into right field.

Blyleven’s slim cushion disappeared quickly. Ripken stepped to the plate and drove in Finley with a single to left, tying the score. Sam Horn then flied to left, ending the inning.

Angel Notes

Wally Joyner, on the disabled list since July 12 because of a broken right knee cap, might not return until after the September roster expansion. The typical healing period for such an injury is six to eight weeks, trainer Ned Bergert said. That would project to a return between Aug. 23 and Sept. 6, without allowing for reconditioning. . . . Dave Winfield’s tightness in his hamstrings was probably the result of running on a soft infield recently, he said. Brian Downing, who suffered a slightly strained his right hamstring Wednesday, was out of the lineup for a second consecutive day.. . . The activation of left-handed reliever Bob McClure remains imminent. “I try to look at it this way,” said McClure, who has not pitched all season because of elbow problems. “It’s been four months anyway. What’s another day or two?”