Langston Hears Same Flat Notes by Angels, 3-1 : Baseball: Brewers hand him his eighth loss in 12 starts since May 15. The Angels have scored 15 runs in the 11 games he has lost this season.

With one minor variation, Mark Langston struck the same losing chord Monday as he has so often this season.

His 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Anaheim Stadium represented a change from the 2-1 defeats he seemed destined to absorb, but the end result was of prime importance--and the loss was the same result he experienced in his previous five decisions.

Rob Deer broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with a home run to left, and the Brewers added another run on a pair of singles around a walk as Langston (4-11) took his eighth loss in 12 starts since May 15.

“The way I look at it, anytime you lose there’s an error in your work,” Langston said. “The home run to Deer, that’s the situation I mean.

“I can’t say it’s not difficult, because it is. I can’t say how much I want to turn it around, but I can’t dwell on it.

“I wasn’t laying (the pitch to Deer) in, but I obviously was trying to throw a strike. He was swinging in that situation. You expect it.”

In the span since May 15, Langston has three no-decisions and one victory, June 5 at Kansas City. In his last six starts, he is 0-5 with one no-decision and a 4.14 earned-run average.

At home, the 29-year-old left-hander is 1-6 in nine starts, having won only on April 11 when he combined with Mike Witt to pitch a no-hitter.

The Angels have scored 15 runs in the 11 games he has lost and had scored only nine runs at the time of his departure. They got 11 hits Monday, and one Angel was thrown out at the plate.

The loss ended the Angels’ three-game winning streak and spoiled a memorable night for rookie first baseman Lee Stevens, who got his first major league hit in his first at-bat and drove in the Angels’ only run in the fourth inning off Ron Robinson (3-1).

Stevens was recalled from triple-A Edmonton late Sunday to take the place of Wally Joyner, who went on the 15-day disabled list because of a possible stress fracture in his right kneecap.

Using Joyner’s glove because some of his baggage had been lost, the 23-year-old power hitter had two singles and a double in his first three at-bats and commanded enough respect for the Brewers to summon ace reliever Dan Plesac to face him with two out and two on in the eighth. Stevens struck out, sending fans scurrying toward the exits.

Stevens, who was batting .293 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs in 90 games with the Trappers, led off the second by lining a single to right off Robinson in his first major league at-bat. Recognizing the importance of the feat, the crowd of 24,643 rewarded him with a round of applause. The ball was thrown in from the outfield for Stevens to save as a memento.

Stevens’ glory was short-lived. He was thrown out stealing second, but trotted back to the dugout to the accompaniment of scattered cheers.

“I didn’t feel I’d be this successful. I felt it would be a learning experience from Day 1,” said Stevens, who singled in each of his first two at-bats and doubled in the sixth before striking out against Plesac with the tying run on second in the eighth.

“I feel like I can make something out of this chance they’re giving me. I made something out of my minor league experience and I will make something out of my major league experience.”

He also made a quick lunge to snare a liner by Dave Parker in the eighth that Milwaukee Manager Tom Trebelhorn called, “as impressive to me as anything,” but was less successful in trying to score from second in the sixth after he had doubled and Hill singled.

“I was really happy and excited (about the promotion). I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep (Sunday) because we were out celebrating our anniversary last night,” said Stevens, who brought his wife, Kim, to the game. “It’s been a nice week for me. A nice present. . . . Hopefully, we’ll get a win tomorrow instead of a loss.”

Not even Stevens’ heroics could save Langston.

Through four innings, Langston had yielded one hit, on a ground ball that might have been scored an error. Shortstop Dick Schofield cut in front of second baseman Donnie Hill to play Bill Spiers’ bouncer and fumbled the ball while taking it out of his glove and throwing. But Langston wasn’t ruffled, and he ended the inning by getting Jim Gantner to tap the ball back to the mound.

Stevens made himself the new fan favorite in the fourth inning, when he drove in the Angels’ first run, then took second baseman Gantner out at second base to avert a double play.

Winfield led off the fourth by beating out a bouncer to deep short. Lance Parrish broke his bat, poking the ball through the hole between first and second, moving Winfield to third. Stevens didn’t wait to see any more of Robinson’s repertoire and grounded the first pitch into right field, scoring Winfield.

When Hill grounded to short, Stevens barged into Gantner and bothered him enough to make him throw too late to get Hill at first. Bichette ended the inning by grounding into a double play.

The Brewers pulled even at 1-1 in the sixth. Gantner began things with a sharp grounder that deflected off Hill’s glove for a hit. He moved to second when Robin Yount grounded a single through the left side and scored on Sheffield’s single to center on a two-strike off-speed pitch. Langston was able to bear down and strike out Parker and do the same to Greg Vaughn on a 3-and-2 pitch. Those were Langston’s fourth and fifth strikeouts.

Stevens further endeared himself to the crowd by lining a double to left-center field past the outstretched glove of Yount with two out in the sixth. But on Hill’s single to left, home plate umpire Mark Johnson signaled that Stevens was out on a fine throw by Vaughn and a good block of the plate by catcher B.J. Surhoff.

Angel Notes

With Wally Joyner on the 15-day disabled list because of a possible stress fracture in his right kneecap and Lee Stevens at first base, the Angels used their 89th lineup in 90 games. Should tests Monday on Chili Davis’ lower back show a problem, Manager Doug Rader’s lineup juggling could intensify. Davis wasn’t available Monday, but word on his condition is expected today.

“You look at the Toronto ballclub and the talent they have and they don’t have a set lineup,” Rader said. “If you use a set lineup, people accuse you of being set in your ways and not imaginative. If you use a lineup you think is best on a given day, people say you’re tinkering too much.”