GUZMAN SPOILS IT FOR ANGELS; MCDOWELL FALLS TO ORIOLES IN SEASON DEBUT : BALTIMORE 1 ANGELS 0.

Byline: Associated Press 

The Angels tried something different by sending Jack McDowell to the mound. Although he pitched well, the result was all too familiar.

Juan Guzman pitched eight scoreless innings as the Baltimore Orioles spoiled McDowell's 1999 debut and handed Anaheim its eighth straight loss, 1-0 Friday night.

McDowell, activated from the disabled list before the game, allowed one run and four hits in 5-2/3 innings. The 1993 Cy Young Award winner, sidelined after undergoing offseason right elbow and shoulder surgery, was making his first appearance in the majors since Sept. 24.

``First time I had big-league adrenaline in 10 months,'' McDowell said. ``Each time I take the ball, it feels a little bit better. I haven't really plateaued yet and I haven't really gone backwards. Those are the positives.''

The right-hander walked one and struck out four before leaving after 88 pitches.

``It was one of those things where you're stretched out a little more, and I was getting close to what my pitch limit would have been anyway,'' he said.

McDowell (0-1) was outdueled by Guzman, who had lost four of his previous five decisions. Guzman (5-8) allowed six hits, struck out four and walked two.

He had given up a run in the first inning in 12 of his 19 starts this season, but this time he got three outs after walking leadoff hitter Darin Erstad on four pitches.

``Getting out of that first inning helped a lot,'' Guzman said. ``We did a lot of work in the bullpen (so) all my pitches were working real good.''

Jesse Orosco got the first out in the ninth and Mike Timlin got two straight outs for his 11th save, his second in two nights after going since June 22 without one.

``Guzman pitched a great game. He deserves all the credit,'' Timlin said.

Harold Baines doubled and scored the lone run for the Orioles, who have won four straight and nine of 11. Cal Ripken went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and made two fine plays at third base.

Matt Walbeck had two hits for the Angels, whose eight-game skid is their longest since a nine-game run in September 1995. Last-place Anaheim dipped 11 games under .500 (42-53) for the first time since 1996.

``We've played hard a long time without swinging the bats,'' Angels manager Terry Collins said. ``Now it's catching up. We need to start scoring somehow.''

The Angels have scored six runs in their last four games.

McDowell avoided trouble until the fourth, when the Orioles scored the game's lone run on a double by Baines, a single by Will Clark and a sacrifice fly by Ripken.

With two on and two outs in the Anaheim fifth, Guzman went to 3-1 on Mo Vaughn before blowing two straight high fastballs past the Angels RBI leader.

McDowell left in the bottom of the inning after Baltimore put two runners on with two outs. Mike Magnante then needed just one pitch to retire Delino DeShields.

Asked if he felt heartbroken to lose after pitching so well, McDowell said, ``Yeah, it's a heartbreak to be 12-1/2 games out. The game is just a little sad right now.''

Notes: Garret Anderson extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a fourth-inning single. . . . Ripken's RBI was his 1,555th, tying him with Willie McCovey for 30th on the career list. . . . Baines' double ended an 0-for-12 skid. . . . Walbeck is 8 for 20 (.400) lifetime against Guzman. . . . Baltimore's team ERA is 4.97, the first time this season it's been under 5.00. In the last four games, Orioles starters have gone 33 innings with an ERA of 1.09.

Walbeck led off the sixth with a single, but Ripken, playing shallow for a bunt, snared Gary DiSarcina's sharp grounder and started a 5-4-3 double play.

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Photo

Photo: Jack McDowell makes his season debut for the Angels but loses 1-0 to Juan Guzman and the Orioles.

Dave Hammond/Associated Press