Smith Fails Royally in Defeat

What Angel reliever Lee Smith couldn’t finish Wednesday night, Kansas City shortstop David Howard did, smashing a two-run double in the top of the 14th inning to lift the Royals to a 3-1 victory before 16,210 in Anaheim Stadium.

Michael Tucker singled with one out in the 14th and, after Johnny Damon’s popout, was balked to second by Angel reliever Mark Eichhorn (1-2).

The Angels intentionally walked Bip Roberts to pitch to Howard, who doubled into the right-center field gap to give the lowly Royals their third consecutive victory over the Angels.

Angel fans were stunned when Troy Percival wasn’t given a chance to close in the ninth. Smith was, but all the major league’s all-time saves leader did was further cloud an already muddled bullpen picture and expose Manager Marcel Lachemann to even more criticism.

Smith gave up an unearned run--it was his second blown save in as many opportunities this season--and the game went into extra innings with disgruntled fans venting their frustration with both Smith and Lachemann.

Percival, a perfect 11 for 11 in save opportunities and owner of a 0.00 earned run average, retired the only two batters he faced, with two runners on, in the eighth inning to preserve a 1-0 lead, but needed only nine pitches to do so.

Surely Percival, who hadn’t pitched since last Friday, had enough stamina to last one more inning. But Lachemann, keeping a promise to his 38-year-old reliever that he’d be the team’s closer once he proved he was healthy, went to Smith, a decision that was greeted with boos.

Those boos grew louder minutes later when Royal pinch-hitter Bob Hamelin sent a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Tom Goodwin and tie the game, 1-1.

Goodwin opened the ninth with a soft single to right, and when Mike Aldrete, subbing for starter Tim Salmon, pulled up to make the play, the ball caromed off his chest and into the air for an error, allowing the speedy Goodwin to reach second.

Goodwin stole third, and after Craig Paquette’s groundout, Hamelin sent a full-count pitch to deep center to score Goodwin.

The Angels threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Jim Edmonds singled and was bunted to second by Chili Davis, the cleanup batter’s first sacrifice since July 16, 1989.

J.T. Snow was intentionally walked, but Kevin Appier struck out Garret Anderson and Royal first baseman Jose Offerman, banished from the Dodgers last winter because of his shoddy defensive play, made a fine stab of Jack Howell’s shot down the line and flipped to Appier at first to end the inning.

The Angels also loaded the bases with one out in the 11th, but Anderson lined into a double play to end the inning. Angel reliever Mike James pitched a scoreless 10th, 11th and 12th, and Royal reliever Jeff Montgomery pitched a scoreless 10th and 11th to keep the game tied.

The Angels’ seventh-inning run was cloaked in controversy. With one out Anderson blooped a fly ball down the line in shallow left field. When Goodwin couldn’t make a diving catch, the ball skidded past him to the rail in foul territory, where a young fan jumped out of the bleachers and gloved the souvenir.

Third-base umpire Ted Hendry signaled interference, but plate umpire John Hirschbeck ruled Anderson was past second base when the fan caught the ball and would have made third had no interference occurred. Anderson was awarded third, and Howell grounded a single past a drawn-in infield to give the Angels a 1-0 lead.

That was only the fourth of five hits the Angels managed against Appier, the Royal ace who so frustrated the Angels (nine strikeouts in nine innings) that after a sixth-inning strikeout, Davis snapped his bat over his knee and hurled both remnants backward, nearly hitting Hirschbeck.

But Angel starter Chuck Finley was every bit as good, shutting down the Royals on four hits and striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings.