Reggie’s 3 Homers, 7 RBIs Help Angels, Witt to 18-3 Victory

There are homers and then there are home runs .

Homers often plop innocently beyond a stadium fence--no flair, no theatrics. They find their way into a scorecard quietly and without much fanfare.

Home runs , such as the three Reggie Jackson hit Thursday evening in the Angels’ 18-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals, splatter seats and cause women and children to run for safety. They also come in handy during what’s left of a pennant race.

And the side effects? Well, life became instantly easier for Angel starter Mike Witt, whose 18th victory was forced to take a place in line after Jackson’s homers and the continued mad dashes of catcher Bob Boone.

As for this business of the division title, that, too, is becoming more of an afterthought. The Angels reduced their magic number to eight as the second-place Texas Rangers took the night off.

Almost anyone on the Angel roster played Thursday night. This was a game where longtime coach Jimmie Reese probably was tugging at Manager Gene Mauch’s warmup jacket, asking to pinch-hit. You wondered if the Angels were being allowed to use a tee.

The numbers:

Two runs in the first, one run in the second, six runs in the fourth, one run in the fifth, three runs in the seventh. It all became a blur as the Angels batted around twice in the game.

By the time it was over, the Angels had set season highs for runs and hits (20). Meanwhile, Jackson had his three home runs and seven runs batted-in, the most RBIs for him since April 7, 1974.

Royal starter Dennis Leonard (8-12) was gone before the end of the fourth inning. He would be charged with eight runs on eight hits and five walks. Rookie reliever David Cone joined in the fun. Jackson was there to greet him with his second home run of the game. Dan Quisenberry would be along later to pick up where Leonard, Cone and Steve Farr left off.

There were other sidelights. Rookie outfielder Bo Jackson, inserted in the game in the fifth inning, added two fielding errors and helped provide Boone with only his fourth triple since 1980. Jackson also misplayed two other line drives and would receive a standing ovation when he fielded a pop fly in the eighth.

As if that wasn’t enough, Boone also had a stolen base (uncontested, mind you), which now gives him three . . . since 1979. He retired involuntarily to the clubhouse in the seventh inning. Home plate umpire Durwood Merrill showed him the way after Boone angrily threw his batting helmet after a called third strike.

But the game belonged to the other Jackson, Reggie. It was his first-inning home run with Ruppert Jones on base that gave the Angels a 2-0 lead. They would need little else, and if they did, Jackson was available.

His first home run traveled, Angel officials said, about 448 feet. With the count 3-0, Leonard couldn’t have guessed Jackson would be swinging. But he was, and the ball landed beyond the Angel bullpen located in right field. So well hit was Leonard’s pitch, that it almost landed in the second deck.

Jackson hesitated a moment following the swing and then began the familiar job around the bases. It was his first home run against the Royals since Sept. 17, 1984, when he registered career homer No. 500.

The Royals scored once in third to shorten the Angel lead to 3-1. But then came the fourth inning and the six more Angel runs, including another present by Jackson.

This one traveled well past the center-field fence. Jackson knew it, too. As soon as he hit Cone’s pitch, he hesitated once again and moved toward first base, never looking up to see where it would land. Three runs would score on the homer, his 15th of the season.

As the blowout continued, Jackson was left in the lineup. He walked in the sixth inning and again in the seventh.

But in the eighth, with Devon White on third, Jackson delivered once more. Again, the right field seats were the victims.

Angel Notes

Wally Joyner, who had missed five previous starts, was back in the Angel lineup as promised by Manager Gene Mauch. . . . One final note about Brian Downing’s 10th inning homer that won the game for the Angels Wednesday evening. It was his 11th game-winning RBI, seven of them have been home runs. . . . Revised playoff game times have been announced. Should the Angels win their division, they will begin a best-of-seven series (presumably against the Boston Red Sox) Tuesday, Oct. 7 in Boston at 5:25 PDT. The second game is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8, also at Boston, at 12:05 PDT. Thursday is a travel day. The two teams would meet in Anaheim Stadium Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11 at 5:20 PDT. If a fifth game was necessary, it would be played in Anaheim Sunday, Oct. 12 at 12 PDT. A sixth and seventh game would be played, if necessary, in Boston Tuesday, Oct. 14 and Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 5:20 PDT. . . . There’s a chance the Angels could clinch the division in the first game of a twilight doubleheader scheduled Monday against the Cleveland Indians. Would there be a celebration between games? “I know one thing,” reliever Terry Forster said, “I might not make it to the bullpen. I’ve never pitched after three bottles of champagne before. Naw, we would go out there and play good, honestly. And then we’d celebrate after it. I’d like to win it on the 24th, because the 25th is an off day.” . . . General Manager Mike Port said Thursday that he expects Mauch back for the 1987 season. “At this point, I have no reason to consider that he would not return next year, and the year after, and the year after that, and the year after that,” Port said. While making no predictions, Port did say that Mauch deserved serious consideration for Manager of the Year. “Pridefully and understandably, I think Gene Mauch has done a tremendous job,” he said. Port also mentioned Bobby Valentine of the Texas Rangers as another candidate.

THREE HOME RUNS IN A GAME . . .

BY REGGIE JACKSON

Team Date Opp/Site Oak. A’s July 2, 1969 Seattle at Oak. Yankees Oct. 18, 1977* Dodgers at N.Y. Angels Sept. 18, 1986 K.C. at Anaheim

* Game 6 of World Series

BY THE ANGELS

Player Date Opponent Lee Thomas Sept. 5, 1961 K.C. A’s Lee Stanton July 10, 1973 Baltimore Carney Lansford Sept. 1, 1979 Cleveland Fred Patek June 20, 1980 Boston Doug DeCinces Aug. 3, 1982 Minn.** Doug DeCinces Aug. 8, 1982 Seattle

** at Anaheim