Finley’s ERA, Orioles Sink a Little Lower : Angels: Left-hander wins his 15th. Three-run homer by Davis wraps up seven-run fourth inning in 12-4 romp.

The Angels have spoiled Chuck Finley this season, supporting him far more lavishly than any other starting pitcher. They spoiled him again Saturday--and may have spoiled the Orioles’ AL East pennant chances.

Chili Davis’ three-run home run was the highlight of a season-best seven-run spree in the fourth inning as the Angels swamped the Orioles, 12-4, Baltimore’s fifth loss in six games. Lance Parrish also drove in three runs and third baseman Kent Anderson enjoyed the first four-hit game of his career to help keep Finley (15-5) on course for a 20-win season.

In Finley’s 23 starts, the Angels have outscored opponents, 96-51, while he was in the game.

Finley gave up only a third-inning home run to Cal Ripken in seven innings, lowering his earned-run average to 2.36. He trails only Boston’s Roger Clemens (2.16) in that category and ranks third in wins. He struck out three to join the top 10 with 116 strikeouts.

The Orioles began the game six games out of first but are sagging badly after their eighth loss in 10 games. Their defense undid them in the fourth, when third baseman Craig Worthington’s error set up the Angels’ big inning, and right-hander Mickey Weston (0-1) proved unequal to the task of winning his second major-league start.

Parrish and Brian Downing also homered for the Angels, who are 4-5 on their home stand with four games left.

Finley had an uncharacteristic lapse in control in the second inning, but the Orioles didn’t take advantage of it. After striking out Mike Devereaux, Finley walked Ron Kittle on a 3-and-2 pitch. Worthington forced him at second, but Finley walked Bob Melvin and Rene Gonzales to load the bases. Finley had allowed only 48 walks in 162 previous innings, an average of slightly less than three per nine innings.

Instead of testing Finley by making him throw strikes, Dave Gallagher hit the first pitch to shallow center, an easy catch for Luis Polonia.

The Orioles had to regret wasting that chance after Downing slammed a 3-and-2 pitch from Weston into the left-field seats in the bottom of the second for his 10th home run of the season.

One swing of Ripken’s hot bat brought Baltimore even in the third. The durable shortstop recorded his 14th RBI in his past nine games when he blasted a 3-and-2 pitch from Finley into the left-field stands for his 14th home run.

The Angels took the lead for good in the third when they manufactured a run with a station-to-station offense. Anderson, who stroked the game-winning hit Friday in the 10th inning, opened the inning with a single to left. He moved to second on a sacrifice by Dick Schofield, took third on Polonia’s grounder to second, and scored on Venable’s single.

The Angels routed Weston in the fourth, scoring seven times to break the game open.

Worthington’s inability to hold Lee Stevens’ pop-up near the mound started the outburst. It was the eighth error in seven games for the Orioles, who led the AL with a .986 fielding percentage before the game. Downing scored Stevens with a double down the right-field line and Parrish drove in Downing with a single to center. Donnie Hill kept things going by bunting for a hit. Parrish was thrown out at home on Anderson’s single, but Schofield singled to right, scoring Hill and sending Anderson to third and Weston to the dugout.

Polonia greeted reliever Joe Price with an RBI single just past Price’s head. Venable ended the Angels’ string after six consecutive hits--one short of the club record--when he grounded into a force play, but Davis kept the runs coming when he powered a 3-and-2 pitch 411 feet into the left-field seats for his first homer since June 24 and first RBIs since June 27.

Downing scored his third run of the game in the fifth, when he walked and came home ahead of Parrish’s 419-foot home run, Parrish’s second in four games.

Angel Notes

Reliever Bob McClure might lead the league in simulated innings. The left-hander threw again Saturday and is “very, very close” to being ready, pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said, but was not activated off the disabled list. When asked if McClure would be ready for the next trip, which begins Friday in Boston, Manager Doug Rader replied, “One would think so.” . . . Rader has said he prefers 11 pitchers to 10--as he currently has--but would not say whether the staff would grow to 11 when McClure is activated. However, he did say he expects third baseman Jack Howell to return from triple A Edmonton before rosters expand to 40 on Sept. 1. He said Howell had three RBIs Friday, had struck out only three times and was hitting well over .300.

When Dick Schofield grounded into a double play in the fifth inning, it was the first time he had done that in 204 plate appearances. . . . Infielder Mark McLemore (sprained right wrist) has been sent to Class A Palm Springs for a six-game rehabilitation assignment. . . . Dave Winfield missed his second consecutive game Saturday to give his tight hamstrings another day of rest. Winfield, who is 21 RBIs away from becoming the 26th player in history to total 1,500, is expected to be in today’s lineup.

Bert Blyleven, who pitched more effectively Friday than he has in weeks (one run over six innings), was pleased. “It was the best game I’ve pitched in the last week,” he said, a joke because it was the only game he pitched in that span. “I had the best control I’ve had in a week and my slider was the best I’ve had in two weeks.” Speaking seriously, Blyleven said he had good command of his curveball and exited only because his shoulder ached. “It’s been sore off and on. It’ll be all right,” he said. . . . Catcher Lance Parrish caught his 1,498th career game Saturday night. He is 82 appearances short of reaching the all-time top 15 in games caught.