Finley Jinx Continues; White Sox Beat Angels

By BOB NIGHTENGALE

May 19, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

CHICAGO — The phenomenon occurs every five days without any logical explanation or reason. It is as if suddenly the Angels forget how to field ground balls, make routine catches, or throw a baseball with accuracy.

And it only seems to occur when starter Chuck Finley pitches.

It happened again Tuesday night with Finley on the mound during a 7-4 defeat to the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.

The Angels committed four errors, made two wild pitches, blew a hit-and-run play and twice were caught stealing before 22,878.

The Angels have now committed 11 of their 24 errors in the games Finley has started, including seven errors in the last two games. Finley has a 2.94 earned-run average, but is 3-4, with opponents scoring nine unearned runs in his last four starts.

“I try to find a little humor in everything, not to take this so seriously,” Finley said, “but actually, it’s pretty frustrating.

“I’d like to say the balls are being hit so hard that guys don’t want to stay in front of them, but a lot of balls tonight were routine plays. It seems like everybody’s in position to make the plays, but something happens. It’s pretty tough to win when you give a team 30 to 31 outs each game.

“I mean, I know we have a great defensive team, but I sure wish they’d show it on days I pitch.”

Finley feared it would be one of those nights way back in the first inning. Staked to a 1-0 lead on Chili Davis’ run-scoring double, Finley watched everything disintegrate.

Joey Cora led off the White Sox first with a single to center. Lance Johnson followed with a routine grounder to second baseman Damion Easley, but Easley booted the ball, and everyone was safe. Finley then threw a wild pitch, the runners moving into scoring position.

Frank Thomas then hit a grounder to third baseman Rene Gonzales, and Cora broke for home. Gonzales made a perfect throw to the plate, about 10 feet ahead of Cora, but John Orton dropped the ball and Cora scored.

“That was kind of the start of a weird night,” Orton said, shrugging sheepishly. “I make that catch 100 times out of 100 times, but why not tonight, I don’t know.”

Finley, who had not thrown a wild pitch all season, then threw his second of the night, Thomas going to second. George Bell grounded to shortstop Gary DiSarcina, scoring Johnson. The Angels finished the inning with two errors, two wild pitches and a walk, and it never got much better.

The White Sox committed three errors and walked eight--including six by starter Wilson Alvarez (5-0)--but the Angels made it a moot point.

“They wanted to give it to us, we wanted to give it to them,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said, “and we ended up winning the giveaway. We could probably hang everybody on this one, both teams were awful.”

The Angels produced 13 baserunners, including Gonzales’ first home run since June 19, 1992--spanning 267 at-bats--but it was as if they never had a chance at winning. The White Sox hit 11 ground balls during Finley’s 5 1/3 innings, and four were either kicked, bobbled or thrown away. Finley has only one victory since April 22, despite a 2.92 ERA during the five-game stretch.

“Maybe he’s giving up too many ground balls,” DiSarcina said. “I don’t know what it is. It’s like (Jim) Abbott last year. It just seems like he was in the wrong spot in the rotation.

“You could just see the frustration in (Abbott’s) face last year, and I hope that doesn’t happen with Chuck.”

Could there be any other reasons for the Angels’ poor play on days Finley pitches?

“Well, yeah,” Orton joked, “there is one thing. We hate him.”

Said Finley: “I don’t know it is, but the way I figure it, I’m going to start buying guys presents before my next start.”