Angels’ Confidence Becoming Apparent : Magic Number Down to 17, Lead Up to 8 1/2 Games After 8-1 Victory

Onward the Angels pressed Tuesday night, pounding out an 8-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians and pushing their American League West lead to 8 1/2 games. The conclusion of this race is quickly becoming foregone, and yet, off in a corner of the visitors’ clubhouse, Reggie Jackson was resolutely holding the company line.

It has something to do with not counting chickens before they’re hatched . . . or turkeys before they’re stuffed. Something like that.

“Don’t get too happy when the turkey’s stuffed,” Jackson warned, “because you might get stuck with a ticket saying you’re No. 25 in the line to eat.”

This is the way the Angels have chosen to approach September, the final lap of their playoff drive. With blinders on.

They don’t want to know that they’ve won 12 of their last 14 games and that the Rangers are still hanging out around .500. They don’t want to know that the magic number is down to 17. They don’t want to know that their first-place lead is the largest in the franchise’s history--and growing.

Runaway? What runaway?

But Tuesday, some cracks in the facade were beginning to show.

Manager Gene Mauch smiled.

Second baseman Bobby Grich talked about relaxing.

“It’s close enough that you can’t let down, but it’s not to the point where every play is critical,” he said. “I like that much better than when every at-bat is real important. Those three-week periods can wear you out.”

And Kirk McCaskill, who won his 16th game with a six-hit complete-game effort, came daringly close to issuing a we’ve-got-it-now statement.

“Everybody’s being real cautious,” McCaskill began. “Nobody wants to come out and say it. I don’t want to, either, but we now have the feeling that we’re gonna win every ballgame.

“I don’t know when you start to feel like you’re gonna do it . . . although I think everybody feels we’re gonna do it. We’re very confident. It’s just that nobody wants to say it and jinx ourselves.”

A reporter looked up from his notes. “You just said it,” he told McCaskill.

The pitcher looked horrified.

“No, I didn’t,” he blurted.

Whatever, the facts are these: The Angels are nine games up in the loss column with 25 to go and are 11 wins shy of Mauch’s own magic number--90 victories.

“Ninety or more,” Mauch said again. “That indicates to me that you’re playing championship-caliber baseball. And, coincidentally, it will get the job done.”

The Angels’ latest step forward came courtesy of a sizable assist from Cleveland starter Tom Candiotti (13-11). Candiotti throws a knuckleball and, for the first two innings, he was having great difficulty keeping it inside Municipal Stadium.

The Angels sent eight batters to the plate and scored twice without a hit in the first inning. They sent up eight more hitters and scored two more runs--with the aid of just two hits--in the second.

In the first, Candiotti walked Gary Pettis and Brian Downing and hit Doug DeCinces with a pitch. Pettis scored on a passed ball. Downing scored when Indian second baseman misplayed a grounder by Ruppert Jones.

In the second, Candiotti walked Pettis again, yielded a double to Wally Joyner and hit Downing with a pitch. Another passed ball moved Joyner to third, where he scored on a single by Jackson.

Mauch was asked if he’d ever seen any game start in weirder fashion.

Mauch said yes--although one must remember: The man has managed in the majors for a quarter-century.

“I did see one,” Mauch said. “And it was also against a knuckleballer. Joe Niekro struck out the first five men he faced. We had two runs in, the bases loaded and two outs. Cliff Johnson was the poor catcher.

“Finally, we made a mistake. Somebody hit the ball.”

Tuesday, those two innings did in the Indians. McCaskill (16-7) struck out seven and allowed Cleveland its lone run on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

The Angels already have one of the league’s dominant pitchers in Mike Witt. Several Indians suggested that McCaskill is on the verge of joining that class.

Mauch considered the thought. He believes McCaskill, at 25, is capable.

“If he so desires,” Mauch said.

Yes, the Angels are starting to get cocky.

Angel Notes

Neither John Candelaria (ailing arm) nor Ray Chadwick (ailing ERA) will start tonight’s game. Instead, Gene Mauch has named rookie Bill Fraser as his pitcher, giving Candelaria another five days’ rest. It marks the second straight start Candelaria has missed and the first major league start for Fraser. Fraser, a 22-year-old right-hander, was the Angels’ No. 1 selection in the 1985 draft. This season, he was a combined 13-3 with a 3.45 ERA at Palm Springs and Edmonton. . . .This week’s unhappy Angel, Rick Burleson, spoke out against Mauch in Anaheim--claiming that “the man buried me” and “I don’t like the man and I don’t care who knows it.” In Cleveland, Mauch responded. “If a fine young man like Rick Burleson doesn’t like you, you must have a personality problem,” Mauch said. “In my case, it’s too late to change.” . . . Ruppert Jones was a last-minute replacement for George Hendrick, who was stricken by the flu. Jones singled and scored a run in four at-bats. Thus far, the Angels’ right field platoon of Jones and Hendrick has produced these numbers--29 home runs, 87 RBIs, .252 batting average. . . . Wally Joyner drove in his 91st run with a second-inning double but had two other hits taken away by the Cleveland defense. In the eighth inning, left fielder Mel Hall denied Joyner with a spectacular diving catch and in the ninth, second baseman Tony Bernazard sprinted into the hole behind first base to thrown out Joyner on the run.

Humor, Mike Port Style: Ask Angel General Manager Mike Port about his least favorite topic--the club’s nine potential free agents--and he’ll smile and hand you a business card. The card’s typewritten message: “There are certain things I am not agreeable to discussing with you on any basis whatsoever , and that happens to be one of them. Nonetheless, thank you for your interest. On the other hand, if you would like to discuss the pennant race, our current place in the standings or some of the fine on-field performances of some of our players, I’ll be more than happy to spend time with you accordingly.” One might deduce that this is a joke, given the parameters of the situation, at this point in time.