Chili Gives Angels a Real Pain

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Mark Gubicza-for-Chili Davis trade eventually might pan out for the Angels--Mike Bovee, the pitching prospect acquired from Kansas City along with Gubicza, is showing promise with a 7-1 record and 3.66 earned-run average at double-A Midland.

And when you add the salary factor--the Angels used the money they saved from Davis’ $3.8-million contract to sign free-agent third baseman Dave Hollins--some good has come of the deal.

But man for man, Gubicza for Davis, the trade is a complete bust for the Angels this season, illustrated in the Royals’ 6-1 victory Wednesday. While Gubicza has spent most of 1997 rehabilitating from a shoulder injury and has an outside shot at returning this season, Davis, as he does almost every year, is tearing up the American League.

The Royals’ designated hitter tormented his former team Wednesday, hitting a two-run double and a bases-empty home run off Angel starter Chuck Finley to power Kansas City before 15,274 in Kauffman Stadium.

“You always like to beat up on your former teammates,” said Davis, who is 12 for 22 with four home runs and 14 runs batted in over his last six games, raising his average from .268 to .304.

“I love all the guys over there, but Chuck Finley was pretty much the one I’ve been the closest with. It’s never easy facing him, but he knows what his job is and I know what mine is.”

That, Finley said, is one of the reasons Davis has been so consistent, averaging 23 home runs and 89 RBIs the last six seasons.

“He’s comfortable in the DH role, and he’s been there for a while,” Finley said. “He pays attention, he’s a smart hitter and he makes adjustments quickly. Ever since I’ve played with him he’s produced . . . I just wish he’d have waited another day to do it.”

Davis gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the first when his sinking liner to left-center field eluded the glove of diving Garret Anderson for a two-run double.

After Jose Offerman’s RBI single gave the Royals a 3-0 lead in the second, Davis drilled a Finley forkball over the wall in center in the fourth for his 10th homer and 38th RBI of the season and a 4-0 lead.

“That forkball was a pretty good pitch, but he looked like he knew it was coming because he jumped all over it,” Finley said. “He looks pretty locked in right now.”

Finley looks a bit lost. The left-hander gave up five runs on six hits, including Jeff King’s fifth-inning homer, in six innings Wednesday to fall to 3-5. He gave up five runs on nine hits Friday against Minnesota.

Finley appeared dominant at times Wednesday, striking out a season-high eight, but he made too many mistakes over the middle of the plate, and most got whacked.

“The in-between is killing me,” Finley said. “My stuff this year is better than it has been the last three or four years. I’m throwing harder, and I’m sharper. But if you don’t make pitches here you don’t get results. About all I did this road trip is take up space.”

The Angels combined for 18 runs on 28 hits in victories over Kansas City on Monday and Tuesday, but they were stifled Wednesday by left-hander Jose Rosado, who gave up one run--Jim Leyritz’s seventh-inning homer--on seven hits in eight innings, improving to 6-3 with a 2.90 earned-run average.

Rosado is 3-0 with a no-decision in his last four starts, giving up only 17 hits and five runs in 30 1/3 innings. Leyritz’s homer ended Rosado’s 16-inning scoreless streak against the Angels.

The Angels had only two other decent scoring chances off Rosado when Darin Erstad walked and Hollins hit a ground-rule double with one out in the first and when Craig Grebeck doubled and Gary DiSarcina singled to put runners on first and third with one out in the fifth.

But Rosado struck out the Angels’ hottest hitter, Tim Salmon, and Leyritz to end the first and got Erstad to hit into his first double play in 216 at-bats this season to end the fifth.