Downing, Boone Hit Grand Slams in 8-5 Angel Win

During the first three days of his stay here, Angel outfielder Brian Downing slumped, pumped, walked, wheezed, coughed and crashed.

On Thursday, Day No. 4, Downing did something a little more spectacular.

He bashed.

The Angels’ 8-5 victory over the Oakland A’s here was made possible by Downing’s grand slam in the third inning, followed by catcher Bob Boone’s grand slam in the fourth.

“And it turned out we needed them both,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said.

The win extended the Angels’ lead in the American League West to a somewhat more comfortable 3 1/2 games and gave them five victories in their last six tries.

Thursday’s win was misleading, though. It wasn’t one of those slugfests in which everyone but the batboy gets a hit. This was the unveiling of Exponential Ball, a shock of sorts for those used to seeing the Angels dink their way to victory.

How many times have you seen it, this seemingly endless game of posturing? A sacrifice bunt here, a sacrifice fly there, ground balls to the right side. All done in the name of moving the runner into scoring position.

Little Ball. It works, of course. Mauch has earned steady paychecks over the years with the strategy. And who cares that all this bunting is as exciting as watching the SALT II negotiations?

Exponential Ball, though, operates under a different premise, the key being to make each hit count.

So it happened. The Angels scored their eight runs with just three hits. And they did all of this in only two innings.

They had help. A’s starter Eric Plunk, who had been skipping along without giving up a hit through two innings, contributed six walks during the third and fourth.

Downing was particularly perturbed when Plunk pitched carefully to Reggie Jackson to load the bases in the third. The message was clear to Downing: Plunk would rather pitch to him than Jackson.

“I get fired up with those particular situations,” Downing said.

Downing, who began the game with just six hits and three runs batted in over his last 35 at-bats, has been battling a lingering case of bronchitis. When he stepped to the plate, Jackson was on first, Gary Pettis, who had walked, was on second, and Dick Schofield, who had reached base on a fielder’s choice, was on third. The A’s led, 2-0.

“I just didn’t want (Plunk) to get ahead of me on the count,” Downing said.

Not to worry. Plunk’s first pitch landed in the left-field seats.

Downing’s grand slam was the sixth of his career and his second this season. Oddly enough, he hit No. 5 against the A’s here April 11. “Maybe this will get me going,” he said.

The same thing happened, this time to Boone, in the fourth. Doug DeCinces reached first base with a single and moved to second when Plunk walked Jack Howell. Rob Wilfong just missed reaching base on a bunt. Still, DeCinces advanced to third and Howell to second on the play.

Then Schofield, with his .241 average, was given an intentional walk, loading the bases for Boone.

Upset?

“I’m long past that,” Boone said. “I’d take it personally if they hadn’t (walked Schofield). I wouldn’t respect their baseball knowledge.”

With that said, Boone, hitting .207 when the game started, knocked the first pitch just over the left-field fence.

“(Plunk) happened to throw to the spot where I used to be a good hitter,” said Boone, who now has a pair of grand slams to show for 14 years in the majors.

Plunk was found later, sitting in front of his locker and staring straight ahead. “It kind of turned around in a big hurry,” he said. “I think I tried to be a little too fine.”

The eight runs made life easier for Angel starter Mike Witt, who struggled for much of his 6 innings but still ran his record to 11-7. “It gave him a cushion that helped settle him down,” Boone said.

The cushion lasted until the seventh inning, when the A’s sent Witt to the bench after a double, a single and another double. By the time reliever Gary Lucas had recorded the third out, the A’s had scored three runs.

The A’s went quietly in the eighth but had a chance to tie the game in the ninth. Jose Canseco grounded to second, however, forcing Mike Davis and stranding Tony Phillips, who had singled to begin the inning.

Lucas wasn’t eligible to receive a save in the official box score. No matter. Mauch changed the rules.

“He’ll get one in my book,” Mauch said. “I know it saved me.”

Angel Notes Brian Downing left Thursday’s game in the fifth inning. He said he may have pulled a muscle in his rib cage while coughing in the first inning. “I did it in my first at-bat,” he said. “I didn’t want it to get any worse. I don’t try to be a hero anymore.” . . . Reggie Jackson batted No. 2 in the lineup for the first time as an Angel. Wally Joyner batted cleanup. . . . More news on relief pitcher Terry Forster. Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angel team physician, examined Forster’s sprained right ankle and said it was 95% healed. But, as expected, Forster will remain in Anaheim to continue his rehabilitation rather than join the Angels in Seattle or Minneapolis. According to Yocum, Forster is three weeks ahead of the expected recovery time, but the sprain, which is on both sides of his right ankle, is causing Angel management to be extra cautious about his pitching schedule. . . . Only Joyner has appeared in each of the Angels’ 101 games. Among the non-pitchers, catcher Jerry Narron has played in the fewest games, 34.