DeCinces Delivers in 6-4 Win

The second coming of Reggie Jackson did not pass without the moment being duly marked. Returning to Oakland Coliseum as an Athletic for the first time since 1975, Jackson threw out the first pitch Friday night and, six innings later, hit another out of the park.

But Jackson’s flare for the dramatic could not compare with a couple of plate appearances by an old Angel teammate named Doug DeCinces. DeCinces drove in four runs with a seventh-inning double and a ninth-inning single to rally the Angels to 6-4 victory over the Oakland A’s before a sellout crowd of 46,120.

Reggie’s two-run home run off Kirk McCaskill had given the A’s a 3-1 lead before DeCinces shoved Jackson’s name off the evening’s marquee. DeCinces highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the Angels with his bases-loaded, bases-clearing double and then added an insurance run by driving home Devon White in the ninth.

That made McCaskill a winner over Dave Stewart in his first start of 1987 and gave Donnie Moore the opportunity for his first save of the new season. McCaskill pitched six innings before leaving with discomfort in his right elbow. Moore worked the final three, allowing one hit--a home run to Mark McGwire in the seventh.

It wasn’t exactly the way Angel Manager Gene Mauch wanted to break in Moore--three innings of pressure pitching. “He flinched a couple times out there,” Mauch admitted. “But he hadn’t been on the mound for four days. I know I won’t have him (available to pitch) this weekend. So, c’mon Urbano Lugo, c’mon Mike Witt.”

Mauch said McCaskill’s bothersome elbow was nothing unusual, nothing to worry about.

“He made one change-up, to Mike Davis, and he had a twinge in his elbow,” Mauch said. “He’s had a little problem with it ever since I’ve known him. A lot of young pitchers have the same thing.

“When it kicked up a little on him in the sixth, I told him, ‘You’ve got 34 more starts. You’re not going to overextend tonight.”

McCaskill held the A’s hitless for the first 4 innings. At that time, the closest thing resembling an Oakland hit came on Jackson’s second at-bat--a wicked line drive that McCaskill snared, almost by accident, as he tried to cover up on the mound. McCaskill plucked the ball out of his glove, looked at Jackson and both players laughed.

With one out in the fifth, Dwayne Murphy broke up McCaskill’s bid for a no-hitter by squibbing a hard grounder up the middle that barely eluded the diving reach of shortstop Dick Schofield. McCaskill, however, came back to strike out McGwire and induce Alfredo Griffin to bounce into a force play, momentarily preserving a 1-0 Angel lead.

McCaskill lost that lead in the sixth. After striking out Mike Davis, McCaskill yielded a pair of home runs--to the oldest slugger on the team, Jackson, and the least likely, Tony Phillips. Phillips, who entered the game with 17 career homers and the inning in an 0-for-12 skid, sent a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence, tying the score at 1-1. Carney Lansford beat out an infield single, and then came another confrontation with Jackson.

Jackson won this one. On McCaskill’s first pitch, he logged career home run No. 549, driving the ball onto the cement stairs beyond the left-field wall. It was Jackson’s first home run since his return to Oakland and it gave the A’s a 3-1 lead.

An inning later, White, part of the youth movement that helped forced Jackson out of the Angels’ organization, and DeCinces, who batted in front of Jackson for the previous five seasons, combined to erase that lead.

Following an infield single by Schofield and a walk to Mark McLemore, White delivered his first RBI of the season--singling to right and bringing home Schofield. Wally Joyner followed with another walk, loading the bases for DeCinces. DeCinces lined a Dave Stewart pitch into the gap in left-center field, clearing the bases with a three-run double.

Oakland Manager Tony LaRussa stayed with Stewart, instructing him to intentionally walk Howell. Stewart then surrendered another line drive--to Butch Wynegar--but the ball was hit right at McGwire at first base.

McGwire hit a 2-0 pitch by Moore over the left-field fence to pull the A’s back within a run. But Moore settled down to retired the next three Oakland hitters in order, striking out both Mickey Tettleton and Griffin.

The Angels finally knocked Stewart out of the game in the eighth, but squandered a scoring opportunity. With two outs, McLemore got Stewart’s eighth walk of the evening, stole second and drew an errant throw from catcher Tettleton. When Tettleton’s relay bounded into center field, McLemore sprinted to third.

That brought up Brian Downing, the Angels’ early RBI leader. Downing had given the Angels a 1-0 advantage by leading off the first inning with a home run, his second of the year. But he wouldn’t get another chance in the eighth, as LaRussa summoned reliever Gene Nelson to pitch to Downing. Nelson got Downing to ground to short for the third out.

Angel Notes

Brian Downing has taken on Jack Howell as a special project, tutoring the Angels’ new left fielder on some of the finer points of outfield play. Downing’s motives, however, are not altogether altruistic. “I’m helping Jack Howell get acclimated to left field because I want him to succeed in left field,” Downing said with a grin. “It’s far better for us to have me at DH than left field. I’m for it 100%. With Jack in there, he gives us a better arm and better speed in the outfield. There are guys better suited for that job than me. If I have to go out there, I’ll go out there, but I’d rather DH.”