The White Sox Make Short Order of Cook; Angels Fall Into 2nd

The Angels weren’t looking for a stopper or a savior when they placed that phone call to Midland, Tex., to page one Michael Horace Cook. They were simply searching for some temporary help, someone to hold the fort until the rehabilitation of John Candelaria is complete.

Well, today the fort is still standing. . . . but now, it is located in second place.

Tuesday night, the Chicago White Sox christened Cook with a five-run third inning at Anaheim Stadium. That inning would be Cook’s last of the evening--and enough to give the White Sox a 5-3 victory in front of 28,421, knocking the Angels out of first place.

With Texas beating Minnesota, the Rangers finally took advantage of an Angel losing streak that reached three and reclaimed a half-game lead in the American League West, a lead the Angels owned since leaving Texas a week ago.

Had original plans gone to form, this was to have been Candelaria’s return to the starting rotation. But when it was determined that Candelaria required at least one more minor league workout--and that Jim Slaton was no longer the proper stopgap--the Angels reached down to Midland to call up Cook for one night in the big city.

And one night could be the extent of Cook’s stay in the Angels’ rotation, at least for the time being.

Cook said Manager Gene Mauch greeted him with a simple message: You are starting Tuesday night.

“He didn’t say the reason for me being here or how long I’d be here,” Cook said.

Later, Mauch clarified matters when he was asked if Cook would be given another start next week.

“No, he’s just filling in for Candelaria,” Mauch said. “But that doesn’t mean he won’t be out there again.”

Maybe in relief. Or, maybe in September.

As major league debuts go, Cook’s looked like . . . well, your basic major league debut. Cook pitched not unlike any other 22-year-old making the jump from Double-A, where he had been 4-6 with a 3.50 earned-run average.

He worked three innings, allowed five hits, two walks and five runs. His third inning was every nervous rookie pitcher’s nightmare.

The first two batters, Bobby Bonilla and Steve Lyons, singled to right. Cook then walked Julio Cruz to load the bases.

After John Cangelosi hit a harmless fly to shallow center field, Ozzie Guillen doubled just inside the right-field line for two runs. An intentional walk to .308-hitting Harold Baines followed, reloading the bases.

Cook got cleanup hitter Greg Walker to hit the ball on the ground--and that’s when the real trouble started. The ball exploded off the heel of first baseman Wally Joyner’s glove and ricocheted into foul territory. By the time right fielder George Hendrick retrieved the ball, the bases were cleared and the White Sox had a 5-1 lead.

“It was just one of those innings where everything I threw was in the wrong place,” Cook said. “I was throwing well, but I was muscling it instead of pitching it. I realized that after the second hitter.”

Mauch summed up the Chicago third as “the kind of inning you don’t want a young pitcher to have.”

After such an inning, Mauch didn’t have the heart to send the youngster out for another. Chuck Finley opened the fourth inning and worked five innings of scoreless baseball, yielding just two singles before giving way to Terry Forster in the ninth.

That bought the Angels some time. But time wouldn’t help them. From the fifth inning on, the Angels were unable to buy a hit.

The Angels, who scored their first run on Rick Burleson’s leadoff home run, added two more in the fifth inning on a run-scoring ground-out by Brian Downing and a single by Doug DeCinces. That was enough to drive White Sox starter Floyd Bannister (4-4) out of the game, bringing on the bullpen duo of Dave Schmidt and Bob James.

DeCinces’ hit was the last of the evening for the Angels. Schmidt walked two in two innings and James one in his two innings.

James earned his 12th save by closing the ninth inning--although Jack Howell, the Angels’ final hitter, might have trouble believing it.

With two out and Reggie Jackson on first base, Howell hit a grounder to first that Walker momentarily bobbled before flipping to James, who was covering the base. The play at first was close--television replays indicated that Howell may have beaten the throw--but first base umpire Tim Tschida clenched his fist.

Howell argued briefly with no success. As the White Sox slapped hands, Howell turned and walked off the field, making his way toward a second-place clubhouse.

Angel Notes

Tuesday afternoon at Ventura, John Candelaria went to the mound--and the mound came undone. Complaining of loose dirt and a divot in front of the pitching rubber, Candelaria worked just two innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out three and walking two. Scheduled to throw 75 pitches, Candelaria delivered 41 during the game and finished up his workout on the sidelines. “The mound was pretty bad,” concurred Gary Lucas, who also pitched two innings in Palm Springs’ 9-3 victory over Ventura. “Most of them in the minors are. It was a steep slope to begin with and there was a hole in front of the mound about 10 inches deep. I knew it was bothering John.” Said Gene Mauch: “Candy said the mound was less than right and he didn’t want to risk it. In that loose dirt, he could have hurt himself in a minute.” Candelaria was monitored closely by Angel team therapist Roger Williams and Palm Springs Manager Tom Kotchman, who agreed with Candelaria’s decision to abort his starting assignment. “We thought we had all the bases covered, but I guess we should have sent a groundskeeper, too,” Mauch joked. . . . Candelaria said he threw without discomfort and is scheduled to join the Angels when they begin a 10-game trip Friday in Toronto. Mauch said Candelaria is tentatively set to start next Tuesday’s game at Milwaukee. . . . ..In his two-inning stint, Lucas threw 26 pitches, striking out three while allowing one hit. “The back was a little achy,” Lucas said, “but honestly, I’m trying to pitch out of it.” Lucas is expected to continue a rehabilitative program with the Palm Springs Angels, scheduled to make at least one more appearance for the Class-A team. . . . Rick Burleson’s leadoff home run was the second in as many nights for the Angels--and like Ruppert Jones before him, Burleson connected on the first pitch. The home run, Burleson’s second of the season, was his first at Anaheim Stadium since June 10, 1981--about two weeks after Jim Fregosi was fired as Angels manager.