Schoeneweis Grounds Blue Jays

Remember all those Scott Schoeneweis-induced ground balls that seemed to have eyes in Arizona, the ones that found so many holes the Angel left-hander gave up 20 runs and 29 hits in his last 15 2/3 spring innings, even though he felt he was pitching well?

Schoeneweis put blindfolds on them Monday night.

In what was easily the best game of his brief big league career, Schoeneweis tossed a masterful three-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, inducing 19 ground-ball outs, to lead the Angels to a 6-0 victory before 14,338 in Edison Field, a win that was somewhat tempered by news that shortstop Gary DiSarcina was put on the 15-day disabled list.

Troy Glaus broke open a close game with a three-run home run in the eighth inning, and Garret Anderson knocked in three runs to back Schoeneweis, who pitched the Angels’ first complete-game shutout since Chuck Finley’s 5-0 victory over Tampa Bay on April 17, 1999.

“That’s the difference, the balls were being hit to my teammates,” said Schoeneweis, who struck out four and walked four.

“Some days I’m going to give up 10 hits and five runs, and some days . . . well, you never think you’ll pitch a complete-game shutout, but you’re going to have success.”

Schoeneweis, a sinker-ball specialist who threw only 105 pitches, worried that he wouldn’t have the chance for success in the big leagues this month. He figured his rocky finish to spring training would result in a demotion to triple-A Edmonton. But Manager Mike Scioscia showed faith in Schoeneweis, and Schoeneweis has rewarded him with victories in his first two starts.

“When Mike told me I made the team, he said, ‘Prove us right,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I will,’ ” Schoeneweis said.

“After last year, when things went wrong [a July demotion to Edmonton and no recall in September], my mission has been to prove to myself, my teammates and coaches that I could pitch here.”

Schoeneweis had a no-hitter through four innings Monday, using a mixture of sinking and tailing fastballs, an improved changeup and a nice slider.

Blue Jay designated hitter Marty Cordova broke it up with a clean single to right to start the fifth, but he was promptly erased when Schoeneweis turned Jose Cruz’s comebacker into a 1-6-3 double play. Alex Gonzalez then walked, but Schoeneweis picked him off to end the inning.

The Angels staged a two-out rally in the third when Mo Vaughn singled, Tim Salmon walked and Anderson lined a two-run double off the 380-foot mark on the left-field wall.

Toronto starter Chris Carpenter held the Angels scoreless through the sixth and left with a 2-0 lead, but Blue Jay reliever Pedro Borbon, the former Dodger, could not keep the game close.

Adam Kennedy singled and Vaughn doubled him to third with one out in the seventh, and Salmon was intentionally walked. Anderson’s sacrifice fly made the score 3-0, and Glaus, who struck out four times in Sunday’s loss to Boston, lined Paul Quantrill’s first pitch over the center-field wall for his second home run of the season.

“That home run was huge,” Schoeneweis said. “It allowed me to finish the game.”

Scioscia, though, hopes Monday night was more of a beginning.

“This is something he has to bottle, this approach,” Scioscia said. “He wasn’t rattled--not that he was rattled before--but he stayed with his game plan against a powerful and aggressive right-handed club, and that’s the mark of a developing pitcher.”