GARLAND FULFILLS GREAT EXPECTATIONS.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

ANAHEIM - If it seems Jon Garland took longer than he should have to become the pitcher the Angels faced Monday night, maybe it's because the expectations grew faster than they should have.

Those impossibly high hopes can be traced to the March afternoon in 1997 when the towering kid in glasses took the mound for Kennedy High of Granada Hills against another San Fernando Valley-area prospect. Although it was a Kennedy home game, it had to be moved to the diamond at Pierce College in Woodland Hills just to accommodate the old men with the radar guns. So bright with star potential was the match-up of Garland and Antelope Valley High's Sean Douglass, more than 70 major-league scouts and cross-checkers lined the fences off Winnetka Avenue to watch.

Garland outpitched Douglass, striking out seven of the first eight hitters and no-hitting Antelope Valley for five innings before being lifted as an early-season precaution.

He was 17 then.

``He's still really young,'' Lovieanne Jung, the U.S. softball player who is Garland's girlfriend, said now that he is all of 25. ``A lot of people his age are still in the minor leagues. Jon was drafted right out of high school.''

Still approaching his baseball prime in his fifth full major-league season, Garland has come up roses this year for the Chicago White Sox, becoming the leader of the pitching staff that powers the best team in the sport.

His perfect start to the season was spoiled Monday night when the Angels peppered Garland for three runs in seven innings to win 4-0 as Ervin Santana pitched a shutout in his second major-league start.

But Garland's record, now 8-1, remained the envy of any other pitcher, and his ERA, while inching up to 2.56, remained the third lowest in the American League.

Both numbers are huge improvements for what had been a .500 pitcher.

To those who watch him all the time, the wonder is that anybody is surprised.

``Patience is a word that comes to mind,'' said Don Cooper, the White Sox pitching coach. ``People wanted this two years ago. But not everybody grabs the brass ring the first time around.''

Sean Douglass was up and down for four years with the Baltimore and Toronto organizations and pitches these days for the Toledo Mud Hens. Matt Karchner, the man for whom the Chicago Cubs traded Garland to the White Sox in 1998, pitched his last major-league game five years ago. Rick Ankiel, the only big-league pitcher nearly as young when Garland made his White Sox debut at age 20, never did find the strike zone and is trying to recast himself as an outfielder.

Meanwhile, for those who were willing to wait, Jon Garland has gone from a perennial 12-game winner with a career ERA of 4.68 to the Cy Young Award front-runner.

Garland, born in Valencia, was twice the California Player of the Year at Kennedy High. He was recruited to play college baseball at USC. He was the 10th pick of the first round of the 1997 draft for the Cubs. He made all of the top-prospect lists in the minor leagues. He was going to be swapped to the Angels for Darin Erstad before the 2002 season before a Disney Corp. executive broke out the veto.

None of this guaranteed Garland would be an immediate success in the AL. He had all the pitches he'd need. He still had to believe in them.

The sharpest difference has been Garland's newfound cool when he's gotten in trouble this season.

In his first start of the season, Garland gave back a lead at Minnesota and faced loaded bases in the sixth but got Michael Cuddyer to ground into an inning-ending double play and ended up winning. In two-on jams late in games against Baltimore and Texas, he struck out Miguel Tejada and Alfonso Soriano with changeups. The change to Tejada was the first one catcher A.J. Pierzynski called for that night.

``If he didn't believe in it,'' Pierzynski said, ``it wouldn't have worked.''

The results weren't there Monday at Angel Stadium but Garland's composure was on display on a frustrating night.

The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on an Adam Kennedy double in the left-center gap after White Sox third baseman Joe Crede dropped a throw from center fielder Timo Perez that would have cut down Dallas McPherson for the third out. Garland got a flyball from Chone Figgins to limit the damage. It became 3-0 in the sixth when a Bengie Molina blooper scored Steve Finley. After another softly hit single, Garland got Kennedy to fly out.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Santana was stopping the White Sox on five hits - inviting some huge expectations himself.

``I think they (the Angels) got a little bit lucky with a few of those runs, or they wouldn't have had any on the board,'' Garland said. ``I'll take that (performance) every start, win or lose.''

It's tougher at this level than it was eight years ago on the field at Pierce College.

Jon Garland might be the one person who didn't have to be reminded.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Chicago White Sox pitcher Jon Garland won his first eight decisions before Monday's loss.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

(2 -- color) Granada Hills native Jon Garland entered Monday's game 8-0, but was outdueled by Ervin Santana.