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Waters dominates Angels in big league debut

Aug 6, 2008 - 5:38 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Chris Waters was more comfortable on the mound than in the clubhouse, and his performance conveyed it.

Waters threw eight innings of one-hit ball in his major league debut, and Luke Scott homered as the Baltimore Orioles posted a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday.

Nick Markakis had an RBI double and Melvin Mora added a run-scoring single for Baltimore, which snapped a two-game skid.

The Orioles did it behind an unlikely source. The 27-year-old Waters, who was recalled from Class AAA Norfolk earlier in the day, was an underwhelming 3-6 with a 5.70 ERA in 18 games - including 16 starts - with the Tide.

If Waters was nervous, he did not show it. The lefthander held the best team in baseball to one hit - a single to Vladimir Guerrero in the second - while recording three strikeouts and three walks. He retired the last seven hitters he faced before giving way to George Sherrill. Sherrill, who walked in the winning run on Monday, worked around a leadoff single to notch his 31st save in 37 chances.

"It's a wonderful and great feeling to come out here in my first start and get a win," Waters said. "It was more overwhelming being in the clubhouse before the game than being out there pitching."

Waters got all the support he needed in the first. Brian Roberts led off with a single off John Garland (10-7), Markakis doubled and Mora's single scored Markakis for a 2-0 lead.

"Garland is a guy who is always around the plate and we just wanted to go up swinging," Markakis said.

Waters made it stand up until Scott drilled his 19th home run in the seventh.

"We know that those guys can come from behind and put runs up on the board in a hurry so we wanted to try and put a couple more runs on the board," Scott said. "It was a big run for us at the time, and (I'm) just glad that we helped Waters get his first big league win."'

Garland allowed three runs and nine hits in seven innings for Los Angeles, which still leads baseball with a 70-43 mark. The AL West-leading Angels had totaled 23 runs in Garland's previous two starts.

"He (Waters) just went right after us and kept us guessing all game," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "He had good movement and location on his pitches. Just hope we can come out here tomorrow and pull out the series with a win."

"It was a rough game offensively for us, but we know what we are capable of and just have to put this one behind us and come out ready to play tomorrow," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.