Petry Has Ragged Return as Angels Lose : After 70-Day Absence, He Is Chased in Third Inning by Orioles, 5-2

Dan Petry, the unofficial record-holder for the world’s worst ankle sprain, finally started another game for the Angels, facing the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night on 70 days’ rest.

From June 21 to Aug. 30--that was the length of Petry’s absence after he twisted his right ankle while fielding a ground ball by the Minnesota Twins’ Kirby Puckett in the Metrodome. From June 21 to Aug. 30--that was time enough for the Angels to climb into the American League West race . . . and then fall out of it again.

It’s also a long time for a pitcher to spend without facing big-league hitting, as Petry demonstrated in his 2-inning stint during the Angels’ 5-2 loss to the Orioles before 22,867 at Anaheim Stadium that ended the Angels’ five-game winning streak.

Petry (3-6) pitched to just 17 batters in his much-awaited return to the Angel rotation. For three batters, he was perfect.

But he labored through a nine-man second inning. Eddie Murray led off with a titanic home run to right. Mickey Tettleton and Fred Lynn singled, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on a bloop single by Rene Gonzales. Gonzales then stole second base and scored on a single by Joe Orsulak.

Down, 4-1, entering the third inning, Petry left before its completion, getting two outs but also allowing three bases on balls.

All told, Petry’s comeback totaled 69 pitches. He allowed five hits and four walks.

“To say the least, I was a little rusty,” Petry said. “I was certainly hoping to pitch some innings. That’s the shortest stint I’ve had all year.

“The arm felt good. The ankle felt good. That’s why I’m really surprised I threw like that. I felt comfortable, but I’m not in any sort of groove yet.”

Before the game, Angel Manager Cookie Rojas was hoping for the best--meaning he was hoping to get 100 pitches out of Petry and have the game still in hand.

“Hopefully, he can give us five or six innings,” Rojas said. “I watched him throw in the bullpen a couple days ago, and he pitched very well. He had good velocity, good breaking pitches, good strength.”

But warming up in the bullpen isn’t quite like facing big-league competition, even if that competition is the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles batted around against Petry in the second inning and had the bases loaded in the third before reliever Jack Lazorko could record the inning’s final out.

Even in the first inning, Petry went to full counts on all three batters.

“He was all over the place,” Rojas said. “He was high with his pitches. He had no command whatsoever. He didn’t have any kind of pattern out there at all.”

And, looking at the circumstances realistically, Rojas conceded that he had no reason to expect anything more.

“This is like spring training all over for him,” Rojas said. “He’s been out two months. But we’ve got to keep pitching him. We’ve got to get him back on track again.”

That could take some time. But Rojas has endured a starting pitcher’s hard times before--such as Willie Fraser’s horrid June and July--and if he can weather that, he can weather anything.

“We’ll do the same thing we did with Fraser--’Here’s the ball. Go get ‘em,’ ” Rojas said.

Petry never really tested his right ankle--there wasn’t enough time for that--but he did give Rojas a scare when Lynn grazed his second-inning single off Petry’s right shin.

No problem, Petry said, although he conceded that the pre-layoff Dan Petry would have turned that ball into a routine out.

“I can make that play,” Petry said. “I’m still not quick enough, and that’s from not being out there. I thought I should have had it. But my agility’s not all the way back yet.”

Lynn’s hit helped turn a one-run inning into a four-run inning for the Orioles.

And that’s all Baltimore starter Dave Schmidt needed to improve to 7-3--remarkable on this team.

Schmidt limited the Angels to two runs on eight hits in seven innings. Both scored on home runs--Chili Davis’ 20th in the second inning and Wally Joyner’s 12th in the third.

The Orioles then used Mark Thurmond and Mark Williamson to retire the Angels in the eighth inning and Tom Niedenfuer to wrap up the ninth and earn his 15th save.

For Petry, it was yet another frustrating step along the seemingly endless road to recovery.

“I’m going to get it back,” he said. “What makes me mad is that we all want instant success. When you don’t get it, sometimes you’re too hard on yourself. I’ll get it back.

“The problem is, I want it to be back yesterday.”

Angel Notes

Gain a Pitcher, Lose a Pitcher: As soon as Dan Petry returned to the rotation Tuesday, the Angels discovered that Kirk McCaskill will need to rest his arm at least three more weeks--which probably finishes him for the season. “The doctors tell me the nerve in his right arm needs about three weeks or so before it’s back to normal,” Angel Manager Cookie Rojas said. “On the 15th (of September), they want to do some more tests on the nerve. Until then, they’ve told him just to rest.” . . . It Costs to Do the Cookie: Rojas’ now-infamous bowing routine during an Aug. 17 rhubarb at Yankee Stadium earned the Angel manager a $150 fine from American League president Bobby Brown. John Shulock, one of the three umpires who ejected Rojas from that game, accused Rojas of spitting on him--among other things--in the report he filed with the league office. “That’s a lie, if that’s his story,” said Rojas, who will appeal the fine. “In the letter he sent to Dr. Brown, Mr. Shulock claimed I (spit) saliva all over him--and that’s not true. I have never done that to an umpire in my life.”

With major league rosters expanding up to 40 players Thursday, Rojas and General Manager Mike Port will meet today to decide which minor leaguers will be recalled for the month of September. Some names Rojas is interested in getting a look at: Texas League batting champion Jim McCollom, who hit .343 for Midland; Midland teammate Jeff Manto, who hit 24 home runs and drove in 101 runs, and Palm Springs pitcher Colin Charland, who went 17-5 with a 2.51 ERA. Other candidates for recall include Edmonton infielder Gus Polidor and outfielders Mike Brown (.350, 21 RBIs in 32 games) and Dante Bichette (13 home runs, 78 RBIs). . . . Because of injuries to Devon White and Jack Howell, Mark McLemore batted leadoff and started at third base Tuesday night. White sprained his ankle sliding into second base on Monday and is expected to miss the rest of this series. Howell was given the night off because of a sore lower back.