Ortiz Stands Tall in Defeat, Even With Little Support

Ramon Ortiz showed in his first start he could make it as a major league pitcher. He learned Tuesday what life is really like as an Angel pitcher.

The Angels’ lack-of-punch line? One run, six hits.

Ortiz’s lesson? Just grin and bear it.

Of course, the Angels learned he could do just that. Ortiz shined, even as the offense dimmed again in a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Toss in a bullpen meltdown and Ortiz got a crash course in Angels ’99.

Ortiz gave up two runs in seven innings--the bullpen gave up three in the eighth. He struck out eight and walked one. Of his 108 pitches, 70 were strikes.

But the lone other bright spot the 21,492 at Edison Field saw was Jim Edmonds’ first home run this season. It gave the Angels a 1-0 lead and was the only offense Ortiz would get.

Call it an initiation to the big club. Not that Ortiz doesn’t have the makeup to deal with it.

“This was no different than my first start,� Ortiz said. “The other team just had a little more luck this time.�

That happens when the Angel offense shifts into idle.

Ortiz nursed a 1-0 lead through six innings, before Carlos Delgado sent his 2-1 pitch 413 feet into the right-field seats, giving the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead.

“We saw what he could do with nine runs, tonight we saw what he could do in a tight game,� Manager Terry Collins said. “He has faced Delgado before in the Dominican, but now he was facing him here in a one-run game. We could see if he would start over throwing the ball. He didn’t. It was fun to watch.�

Ortiz shrugged it off.

“I pitched good,� Ortiz said. “There are better days ahead for me and the team.�

The Angels’ lone run Tuesday came with one out in the first inning. Edmonds hammered Pat Hentgen’s 3-2 pitch into the right-field seats for his first home run since returning from shoulder surgery.

“I’m starting to feel pretty good now,� said Edmonds, who is hitting .244. “I had no idea how difficult it was going to be coming back.�

The home run didn’t hurt Edmonds case, as it showed that his power is still there. He is in the last year of a four-year contract, with the Angels needing to decide if his oft-injured body is worth a $4.65-million option next season.

Not that it weighs heavy on Edmonds’ mind.

“They came to me in 1995 with an offer that surprised me,� Edmonds said. “They showed they had faith in me and now it’s my turn. . . .

“I have no idea what free agency would be like, but I will leave that to my agent. He calls me when he needs me or needs my opinion.�

Ortiz’s future seems a little more certain. He was even more dominating than his first start. Ortiz struck out the first two batters and the movement on his pitches was so good that he caught four batters looking, including Brian McRae three times.

Shannon Stewart, who came in with a 21-game hitting streak, struck out twice and grounded out against Ortiz, but he did extend his streak by rolling a ground ball into center field in the seventh.

It put runners on first and third with two out. Ortiz then caught McRae flat-footed on a 1-2 pitch to end the inning.

“I’ve never seen him get mad,� said catcher Ben Molina, who also caught Ortiz at triple-A Edmonton. “I mean, I’m sure he has a temper, but he just always seems so happy and positive. After he has given up a home run, I’ll go out to the mound and he’ll say, ‘I should have made a better pitch. OK, let’s go.’ It doesn’t affect him.�