Pitchers Struggle on, Off Field

The Angels newest pitching ace made his debut Wednesday night, but it was the absence of the team’s one-time ace that made the news.

Aaron Sele, who signed a three-year, $24-million contract during the off-season, was clobbered in his first Angel outing. He gave up four runs and eight hits and threw two wild pitches in his first three innings. He was long gone by the time the Cleveland Indians finally wrapped up a 6-5 victory in front of 18,194 at Edison Field.

Yet, Sele was still better off than former Angel Chuck Finley, who never made it to the game because of an altercation with his wife this week. Tawny Kitaen Finley was charged Wednesday with injuring her husband in an altercation that occurred Monday.

Finley, who suffered scrapes and abrasions after his wife allegedly kicked him repeatedly, was scratched as the Indians’ starter before the game.

“Chuck has to deal with a personal issue and that is the extent I’m going to comment on the matter,” Cleveland General Manager Mark Shapiro said.

That put Ryan Drese, who had nine major league games on his resume, in the path of the Angels. But while Drese was the one tossed on the grill, it was Sele who pitched like he was uncomfortable. .

With one out in the second inning, Cleveland’s Brady Anderson singled and went to third when Ricky Gutierrez followed with a single. Russell Branyan’s single to left tied the score, 1-1. One out later, Matt Lawton launched a line drive over the head of center fielder Darin Erstad, scoring Gutierrez and Branyan.

Anderson had a run-scoring double in the third for a 4-1 lead.

“When you only get 34 to 35 starts, you want to be at your best every time,” Sele said. “I let it slide a little in the second and third innings. I kept getting the ball up and that’s too good a hitting team to make that mistake.”

Sele settled down after the third inning, but the damage was done. He was done after five innings, making him the third Angel starter in three games to be in the dugout by the sixth inning.

The Angels got close, scoring two runs in the ninth, but Troy Glaus struck out and left the tying run on second base.

Sele has been that type of pitcher, as he has won at least 15 games each of the last four seasons. He is also the latest free-agent starting pitcher signed by the Angels. He steps onto a path that John D’Acquisto, Bill Travers, Frank LeCorte and, more recently, Tim Belcher--among others--have stumbled down before him.

No free-agent pitcher has won more than 10 games in his first season with the Angels. More is expected from Sele, who has pitched in the postseason each of the past four seasons.

“Some people said when he signed that he has never won a postseason game,” Erstad said. “That’s fine. Just get us there. We’ll take it from there.”

Finley, the Angels’ all-time leader in victories, spent 13 seasons chasing a postseason appearance before signing with Cleveland after the 1999 season. Events unfolded this week that went beyond baseball.

“Most of us have had personal issues to deal with,” Shapiro said. “They just don’t get this kind of scrutiny.”

Finley and his wife were driving home from dinner Monday evening when Kitaen Finley allegedly started kicking her husband, according to Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

Kitaen Finley allegedly grabbed her husband’s ear and pushed his foot, which was on the car’s gas pedal. Finley was able to regain control of the car and get home safely. When the argument continued, a third party called police and Kitaen Finley was arrested.

She was released on her own recognizance, but the judge issued a restraining order that restricts her from going near her husband, Richards said.

Shapiro said that he talked with Finley Tuesday evening and that he was physically able to pitch. He will likely rejoin the team this weekend in Detroit.

Drese did all that the Indians could have asked as a fill-in, allowing three runs in 52/3innings.

The Angels could have sent Drese packing early, but could manage only one run out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the first.