Schofield Ruins Danny Jackson’s No-Hitter in 9th

Danny Jackson became the fifth pitcher this season to hold the Angels hitless for more than seven innings Wednesday night but emerged as the fourth who was unable to equal Joe Cowley’s no-hit feat.

Jackson’s bid made it as far as the ninth inning before the Angels scraped up some self-respect and reduced the Kansas City left-hander to an ordinary 2-0 winner at Royal Stadium. Jackson was not particularly pleased by this and had two potential targets for his anger.

Pick a White.

There was Royal second baseman Frank White, whose glove narrowly missed a squib shot off the bat of Dick Schofield, letting the ball skitter past him for the Angels’ first hit of the night. Say goodby to history--by a matter of inches.

Or there was Angel Devon White, who laid a bunt down the third-base line in the seventh inning, a play that became inconsequential when the ball rolled foul, and White eventually walked.

But Jackson chose White No. 2.

“When a guy’s got a no-hitter going, the first hit cannot be a bunt hit,” Jackson said. “A hitter’s supposed to swing the bat. I don’t know how long he’s been in the league, but he’s got to go down.”

Jackson meant down in the dirt. White didn’t quite get there, but Jackson’s next pitch got his message across. The pitch sent White dancing out of the batter’s box in self-preservation.

Jackson wasn’t thrilled with the other White and the play he failed to make. His reaction? “A cuss word,” Jackson said. “To have it end like that. Kind of a letdown.”

But he could handle it. Doug DeCinces then followed with a clean single to left, rubbing out some of that disappointment and leaving Jackson (11-12) with a two-hitter.

The bunt, however, was something altogether different. Jackson called it bush.

The Angels called it good baseball.

“Devon White wasn’t trying to break up a no-hitter,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said. “He was trying to win a game.

“If we had been down five, six runs, yeah, it’s a bush-league play. But if he gets on (base), one swing and we’re back in it. It’s not like we were getting smothered. He gets on, and we bring the tying run to home plate.”

Said White: “I can understand why (Jackson) is upset. On my part, it was kind of late to bunt. But I’m trying to get on base and get something started. I know what our team is capable of doing.”

White said he wasn’t surprised where Jackson directed his next pitch after the bunt.

White grinned. “That’s part of the game.”

For eight innings, that trickle of a bunt and an error by shortstop Buddy Biancalana were as close as the Angels came to a basehit against Jackson. What was the essence of that meeting Mauch called two days ago? Something about intensity?

Well, since clinching the American League West, the Angels are 1-4. They have been shut out twice and held to one run once.

And this no-hit stuff is old hat. Since June, Joe Niekro, Charlie Hough, Walt Terrell, Cowley and Jackson all took no-hitters into the eighth inning against the Angels. Wednesday, Jackson was attempting to join Cowley as the second to complete a no-hitter against the Angels in the past 13 days.

He had three outs to go when Schofield stepped in to open the top of the ninth. Jackson threw a strike and then delivered an inside fastball that jammed Schofield.

Schofield fisted the ball toward right field. Second baseman White appeared to have a shot at the ball, but it kept veering away--all the way onto the artificial turf for a single.

“I thought Frank had a chance at it,” Jackson said. “First, I watched the ball a little bit, and then I looked where Frank was. I knew he had a long ways to go.”

Schofield: “I thought he could catch it. When I got on base, I told him that. He jammed me and I sliced the ball away from him. If he had got to the ball on one hop, he probably would’ve got me. It was a lucky hit. But I’ll take it.”

White was so frustrated by the play that he brushed away the first wave of reporters to approach his locker. A few minutes later, White had collected himself enough to comment.

“I was just disappointed that the hit came that way,” he said. “If they’re going to get a basehit, you hope it’s a line drive somewhere. I feel kind of like the pitcher. It’s a letdown.”

Angel Notes Angel Manager Gene Mauch was informed of Roger Clemens’ bruised elbow after Wednesday night’s game. “People might think I’m nuts, but I hope he’s not hurt bad,” Mauch said. “I wouldn’t want it to happen to one of mine. If we’re going to win it, let’s win it.” . . . Besides the four bases on balls Danny Jackson issued, the only baserunner he allowed through eight innings was George Hendrick, who was safe in the fourth inning on an error by Royal shortstop Buddy Biancalana. Biancalana had to run into the hole to glove the ball, but was charged with the error when his one-hop throw bounced past first baseman Kevin Seitzer. . . . The Angels used three pitchers in the loss. Starter Don Sutton pitched two innings, Vern Ruhle four and Donnie Moore two. Ruhle (1-3) became a loser when he surrendered a double to Lonnie Smith and RBI singles to Seitzer and Frank White in the third inning. . . . The Angels have fired Winston Llenas as manager of their Class AAA club in Edmonton. Edmonton finished last in the Pacific Coast League’s Northern Division the first half of the 1986 season and third in the second half. . . . Jimmie Reese, who is completing his 14th season as an Angel coach and his 69th in professional baseball, turned 81 Wednesday.