ANGELS' ORTIZ TAMES TRIBE TIGHT SHOULDER SHRUGGED OFF IN HIS COMPLETE GAME VICTORY ANGELS 7, CLEVELAND 2.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

CLEVELAND - If Cleveland Indians manager Charlie Manuel thought the Angels would relax Friday when he pulled Roberto Alomar and Juan Gonzalez after seven innings and the Angels up by six runs, he was greatly mistaken.

Manuel yanked many of his big hitters in a game Aug. 5 against Seattle when the Indians trailed by as many as 12 runs and came back to win. So the Angels were on their toes until Ramon Ortiz struck out Marty Cordova for the final out in a 7-2 Angels victory in front of 42,528 at Jacobs Field.

``No, you never feel comfortable against a team like that, you'd better not,'' Angels center fielder Darin Erstad said. ``We've been there against them and crazy things have happened. That's an unbelievable team that never dies.''

Ortiz, though, was able to put the Indians into a deep sleep for most of the game, his first complete game of the season and third of his career. He held the Indians' potent lineup to six hits, including only two for extra bases.

And it came only six days after Ortiz had to leave his previous start after 1 2/3 innings because of a tight shoulder.

Ortiz (11-7) said his shoulder felt fine, and it showed. His only real trouble came in the sixth when he threw eight consecutive balls to begin the inning, walking Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel and bringing up Alomar, Gonzalez and Jim Thome.

But Ortiz got out of the inning allowing only one run, on a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez.

``That's a situation any pitcher has to really gather himself and concentrate on executing his pitches, and he did,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``There are times he gets out of his mechanics, but it seems to be little brush fires instead of a raging forest fire.''

Ortiz doused any sparks the Indians offense tried to kindle with a 93-mph fastball, a sharp slider and a deceptive changeup. He gave up a second run in the eighth after Eddie Taubensee tripled and scored on Vizquel's groundout.

``They are smart hitters,'' Ortiz said of the Indians. ``I had to keep changing speeds and hit the corners. ... I wasn't afraid of them, I just stayed positive and made the pitches I wanted to make.''

The Angels offense gave Ortiz some early runs, scoring four in the first two innings off Indians starter Charles Nagy (4-6). Erstad's RBI single in the first inning drove in the first run of the game and was one of his three hits.

Scott Spiezio added a two-run double in the first inning, one of his three hits. He matched a career-high with three RBI as the Angels kept pace with the A's in the wild-card race, remaining five games behind.

The Angels also played good defense, highlighted by Erstad's spectacular diving catch of Thome's liner to right-center field in the fourth inning. Erstad's right (glove) wrist awkwardly buckled under him as he hit the ground, but he was fine.

``He waved us off,'' Scioscia said about running out to center field along with a trainer. ``But with Ersty, there could be a bone sticking out and he's going to wave you off.''

Erstad seemed to show he was fine, getting two of his three hits after the catch.

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Ramon Ortiz allowed only six hits in going the distance Friday.

Mark Duncan/Associated Press