Joyner’s Home Run in 10th Gives Angels More Likely Ending

For eight innings Wednesday night, the Jack Lazorko story, a tale of a squat, 31-year-old junkballer who arrived in Anaheim after a decade in the bush leagues, was almost too good to be true.

This Mr. Everyman baffled and bewildered one of the American League’s most formidable lineups with sinkers and changeups, holding the Toronto Blue Jays to one run and four hits through eight innings.

Then came the ninth inning, baseball’s equivalent to midnight, and time ran out on this fairy tale.

Toronto’s Fred McGriff hit a one-out homer and catcher’s interference was called against Bob Boone. Lazorko was gone. And, within moments, so was his 4-2 lead.

Angel Manager Gene Mauch replaced one rags-to-majors story with another, summoning 29-year-old rookie DeWayne Buice from the bullpen, and thus overloaded, the plot went haywire.

Buice allowed the Blue Jays to tie the game and force extra innings, where the Angels finally salvaged it on a 10th-inning home run by Wally Joyner, 5-4.

Joyner hit it with one out in the bottom of the 10th, on a 1-and-2 pitch from Toronto’s heretofore perfect relief pitcher, Tom Henke. Including the first two innings he worked Wednesday, Henke (0-1) had not allowed a run during his first 21 innings of 1987.

Joyner’s homer gave gave the victory to Angel reliever Gary Lucas (1-1).

Lazorko, recalled from Edmonton on Monday to aid the Angels’ pitching emergency, provided more than Mauch could have hoped. Through eight innings, Lazorko restricted Toronto to one run--a solo home run by Jesse Barfield in the second inning--and retired the Blue Jays in order four times.

“I never had a right to expect him to go eight innings,” said Mauch, whose lasting image of Lazorko was a one-out stint this spring in Yuma, with Lazorko allowing three San Diego runs on a pair of home runs.

“His stuff was much better than what I saw in spring training,” Mauch continued. “And his control was immeasurably better. He threw harder, too--in the high-80s most of the night.

“I imagine Lazorko feels almost as good as he could feel.”

Almost. Lazorko has waited for 10 years--and waded through eight different organizations--for that first big-league victory. Before playing for the Angels, Lazorko appeared in 33 games with Milwaukee, Seattle and Detroit, compiling a 0-1 record with a 4.05 earned-run average and two saves.

He still is winless in a big-league uniform.

“The decision will come,” Lazorko said. “If you just keep battling and battling, good things are going to happen for you.”

That would appear to be a career credo for Lazorko.

“I never gave up on myself,” he said. “I’m starting to put things together. The last three seasons (during which he has a 20-11 record, including this season’s 7-0 start at Edmonton) have been pretty productive for me.

“Right now, I’m glad I’m getting the opportunity to start, because I’m in a good groove.”

Lazorko rode that groove through the Toronto lineup for eight innings. But with one out in the ninth, Lazorko surrendered home run No. 2, to McGriff, pulling Toronto to within 4-2.

Then, he got George Bell to swing on a 2-and-2 pitch, but Bell made contact only with catcher Bob Boone’s glove. Bell was awarded first base.

At that point, Mauch made his move, sending Lazorko to the dugout and to a standing-ovation from the crowd. Boos would shortly follow.

Buice came on to hit the first batter he faced, Barfield, with a pitch, putting the tying runs on base.

And when Willie Upshaw hit a grounder to second, both runners moved into scoring position.

A passed ball by Boone scored Bell and sent Barfield to third. Barfield scored the tying run when Ernie Whitt hit a cue shot over third baseman Doug DeCinces’ head for a game-tying double.

All Mauch could do was wave his hands in disgust. And all Lazorko could do was wave his long-awaited first big-league victory goodby.

Buice finally ended the inning by getting Kelly Gruber to fly to center field, but the Angels provided no heroics in the bottom of the ninth. Henke struck out Jack Howell and Gary Pettis, and retired Mark McLemore on an easy grounder to first.

Onto the 10th inning, where Buice got one quick out and then got into trouble by walking Tony Fernandez and yielding a single to Rob Ducey, prompting another pitching change by Mauch.

Lucas came on, bringing an 11.40 ERA with him, and he loaded the bases by walking McGriff. Up stepped Bell, Toronto’s RBI leader, who hit a sharp ground ball to third that DeCinces turned into a double play to keep the game tied long enough for Joyner to untie it.

Joyner’s home run was his first since May 9 and the Angels’ first in 56 innings. With it, the Angels won their first three-game series in more than two weeks and, in the process, may have added a new name to their starting rotation.

“In my mind, Lazorko is going to start again Monday,” said Mauch, who saw enough Wednesday to revise earlier plans.

And so, Lazorko, that fire plug in doubleknits, will get another chance to keep plugging away. He’ll take it. When you’ve waited a decade to get that first majorleague win, what’s another five days?

Angel Notes

John Candelaria visited the Angels’ clubhouse Wednesday afternoon to receive treatment on his back, which, the Angels claim, is one reason why Candelaria was placed on the disabled list. “The doctors found some soft tissue in his back,” Manager Gene Mauch said. “We would’ve probably skipped him a start or two unless there had been some improvement. I know the day we left Detroit (last Wednesday), he told me, ‘Aw hell, I can’t get anybody out the way my back is.’ I know the time off will benefit him, especially physically.” The time off also represented an opportunity for Candelaria to seek counseling after his second arrest for investigation of driving while intoxicated, but Mauch would not confirm if Candelaria is undergoing such therapy. “I don’t know and I don’t want to know,” Mauch said. “That way when people ask me, I don’t have to hedge about anything.” . . . The Angels signed former Milwaukee Brewer outfielder Mark Brouhard to a Double-A contract and assigned him to their minor-league affiliate in Midland (Tex.). Brouhard, 31, had been playing in Japan for the Yakult Swallows, who bought his contract from the Brewers in late 1985. Brouhard was originally property of the Angels, drafted by California in 1976. Milwaukee acquired his rights in the winter free-agent draft of 1979. . . . Before ex-Angel infielder Rob Wilfong ended his brief trial with the San Francisco Giants earlier this month, he talked with Mauch about his decision to retire at age 33. Said Mauch: “He called me last week when we were in Detroit and said, ‘This isn’t gonna make any sense, but I want to talk, anyway.’ It made sense. He wanted to be with that family of his. When you want something, the idea is to work toward it, not away from it.” . . . When Willie Upshaw stole second base during fifth inning, it marked the sixth base stolen by Toronto this series--all against Angel catcher Bob Boone. Since re-signing with the Angels May 1, Boone has not thrown out a potential base-stealer in nine attempts. . . . With a single in the eighth inning, Devon White extended his hitting streak to 12 games.