Angels Can Use a Royal Comeback : Kansas City Knows From Experience That It’s Not In, Yet

Are the Angels dead?

They certainly looked that way Thursday night on the Royals Stadium carpet when they:

--Gave up a 450-foot home run to a limping George Brett, hobbled by a left ankle so sore that he needed an entire afternoon’s session in the trainer’s room just to make an appearance as a designated hitter.

--Surrendered another home run to Steve Balboni on an 0-and-2 pitch.

--Produced zero runs through eight innings against Danny Jackson, a second-year pitcher who had lost three straight games and five of his last six decisions.

--Extended their scoreless streak in this most important series to 21 innings before finally managing a run with two outs in the top of the ninth.

--Lost to the Kansas City Royals for the third time in this four-game set and for the seventh time in their last 10 games.

--Fell one game behind the Royals in the American League West with three games to play.

This is no way to run a pennant race. Right now, all the signs--none of them particularly vital--point to R.I.P. Angels.

The Royals may realize this, but there is no way you’re going to get them to say it. Understand that the Royals are a bit sensitive to this sort of talk.

Five days ago, Kansas City was on the the receiving end of a similar diagnosis after being swept in three games by Minnesota. Twin first baseman Kent Hrbek pronounced that the Royals “look dead, real dead.” Minnesota Manager Ray Miller echoed those thoughts, surmising that the Royals were flat and perhaps succumbing to the pressure of the moment.

“That was kind of a cheap shot,” Kansas City Manager Dick Howser said. “It’s the kind of statement that gets you into trouble later.”

Howser wasn’t about to make the same mistake with the Angels. He wasn’t going to risk stirring a giant that is most assuredly asleep.

“I’ll never say that,” Howser said. “No, California was not flat. We’ve got the best pitching in the league. Bret Saberhagen, Charlie Leibrandt, Bud Black and Danny Jackson can make a lot of clubs look flat. There’s not a lot you can do when they’re on.”

Elsewhere in the Royal clubhouse, nobody was willing to give the Angels the last rites. They admitted that the Angels are down--but stopped short of calling them out.

“It’s premature to say it’s in the pocket,” said reliever Dan Quisenberry, who recorded the final out for his 36th save. “This was a must game for us, but I’m not going to turn somersaults because we have a one-game lead with three to play.”

Quisenberry speaks with caution, probably because he has watched this reluctant race up close. The West Nobody Wanted to Win.

Strange things have been happening all year. The Angels turning a 5-0 eighth-inning lead in Cleveland into a 7-5 defeat was strange. The Royals rising from the deck against Minnesota to take three of four from the Angels was strange.

And strangeness may still abound the next three days--California at Texas, Oakland at Kansas City.

Predictions?

“At this point, it’s meaningless,” Quisenberry said.

Quisenberry did make one observation: The Angels can’t be feeling too well about their predicament today.

“I think right now, their clubhouse is very quiet,” he said. “There’s a sense of some wounds. It had to hurt their morale when they gave up those runs early (two in the first inning, all four in the first five innings).

“We felt the same way after Minnesota. We were flat, too. That’s not to say the Angels can’t get it back.”

How did the Royals get it back?

“The Angels woke us up,” Quisenberry said. “If you can’t feel intense in this series, you don’t deserve it. We’re staring face-to-face with the pennant. You don’t have the makings of a winner if you can’t get up for this series.”

If the Angels were ever up for Thursday night’s game, they got that sinking feeling quickly. Frank White hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and then Danny Jackson administered more depressant.

“In the first four innings, their momentum fell down,” Jackson said. “When you give up early runs, you have to get down emotionally. You’re thinking, ‘Geez, it’s gonna be another rough night.’

“I had to make sure their spirits didn’t get uplifted.”

Jackson succeeded--just as Saberhagen and Black did before him.

“Good pitching is going to do that,” Howser said. “I’m sure Adirondack and Louisville Slugger make a lot of money this series. The Angels broke some bats. There was a lot of lumber flying.

“This is the kind of series we needed. There are only three games left, and this club knows what’s at stake. I just hope we play the next three like the last four.”

If the Royals do, there’s nothing the Angels can do about it.

Except, maybe, wear black.