Yankees, Fans Get to Moore in 10-8 Loss

For Donnie Moore, for the time being, it may be remembered as his last great act of defiance.

As he walked off the mound--and maybe onto the disabled list--Sunday afternoon, Moore, the losing pitcher in the Angels’ 10-8 defeat in 10 innings to the New York Yankees, raised a fist in anger at a booing Anaheim Stadium crowd.

With the same right arm, Moore had just surrendered the decisive runs in the Angels’ third straight defeat to the Yankees after his teammates erased an 8-2 deficit to force extra innings. Unable to deliver a high-speed fastball without accompanying pain, that arm yielded a leadoff walk and run-scoring singles to Willie Randolph and Gary Ward--hits that would bring the house down on Moore.

“I’m sick of it,” said Moore, a target of boos at Anaheim Stadium since opening day. “I’m pitching against guys (hitters) out there making all kinds of money and I’m 75-80%. I don’t mind being booed, but I’ve been hurt. Let someone else go out there who’s healthy.

“I can’t go on this way, it’s as simple as that. Something has to be done--some more shots, something. I’ve got no control, I’ve got no velocity.

“And then I go out there and get booed and that’s frustrating, too. I’m sick and tired of it.”

Moore, who has been pitching with sore ribs and shoulder tendinitis, says he needs rest. And Angel Manager Gene Mauch, who already has two pitchers on the disabled list, is considering adding a third.

“The man says he’s hurting,” Mauch said. “We may have to do something about it. He can throw 90, 91 miles an hour but he doesn’t feel good doing it.”

Mauch said he needed some time to weigh his options.

“I don’t know all the details yet,” Mauch said. “Damn, I play these games hard. I get into them deep. I can’t just get into DLs and roster changes right now. I can’t do that for you.”

Mauch was still trying to wind down from a 3-hour 42-minute game that saw the Angels floored early before scrambling back to tie, only to throw it all away in the 10th--and wind up under .500 (21-22) for the first time this season.

Wally Joyner, Dick Schofield and Jack Howell hit home runs to lead a comeback that overcame:

--A traditional Angel obstacle, a left-handed starting pitcher. This one, Dennis Rasmussen, won 18 games last year but the Angels knocked him out in the sixth.

--The return of Ron Guidry, the former free-agent who made his first appearance of 1987 as a reliever, serving up Howell’s home run in the eighth.

--Dave Righetti, the American League save leader. Righetti was unable to add to that total Sunday, squandering an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the ninth by surrendering a double to Gary Pettis and an RBI single by Joyner.

Basically, the Angels overcame everything but their pitching, which again proved the ultimate crippler. For the 10th time this season--and the ninth time since April 25--Angel pitchers allowed 10 or more runs in one game.

Blame eight of these on Don Sutton and Urbano Lugo. Sutton couldn’t make it out of the third inning, giving up five runs on nine hits, including a two-run home run by Mike Pagliarulo. Lugo, making his first appearance since being banished to the bullpen, staggered through his new role--yielding a home run to .138-hitting Joel Skinner and a two-run homer to .179-hitting Dan Pasqua during 3 innings.

“(Lugo) can’t keep big-league hitters in the park pitching above the belt,” Mauch said. “He just can’t do it.”

And what of Sutton (2-4), who has a 5.06 earned-run average after 10 starts? Is he merely following last year’s form, when Sutton began a 15-11 season with a 3-5, 6.32 mark through his first 10 outings? Or is this an indication that the 42-year-old Sutton is finally beginning to act his age on the mound?

“I don’t feel the any different (about Sutton) than I did last year,” Mauch said. “I was wondering last year, too.”

By the time Sutton left, the Angels were down, 5-0. Add the damage done by Lugo and the deficit was 8-2 after 5 1/2 innings.

Finally, DeWayne Buice bought the Angel offense some time to cut into that deficit. Buice held New York hitless from the seventh inning through the ninth, enabling the Angels to slowly come back.

They scored three runs in the sixth on Schofield’s home run. They added one run in the seventh on an RBI single by Brian Downing, another in the eighth on Howell’s homer and tied the game against Righetti in the ninth.

They also had the opportunity to win it there.

Pettis led off the inning with a double that one-hopped the wall in right-center field and Joyner followed with his tying single. Righetti walked Downing, putting the potential tying run in scoring position with none out.

Doug DeCinces knocked the wind out of the threat with a double-play ball to shortstop, erasing Downing while moving Joyner to third. Devon White struck out to end the inning. Buice was spent, so Mauch went with Moore.

Three outs later, the Yankees had the runs they needed and Moore had his fill. As he left, confronted by the jeers, Moore let his right arm do the talking for him.

It could be a while before the Angels see that arm in action again.

Angel Notes

The Yankees played Sunday’s game under protest after an umpire’s ruling was reversed in the top of the 10th inning. After Donnie Moore issued a leadoff walk to Wayne Tolleson, a check swing by Rickey Henderson sent a dribbler down the first-base line. First baseman Wally Joyner gloved the ball and dove at Henderson as the runner sprinted by, trying to make a swiping tag. Henderson eluded the tag, leaving is feet and reaching around Joyner for the base. First-base umpire Nick Bremigan initially waved Henderson safe but Angel Manager Gene Mauch argued that Henderson ran out of the base line. Home-plate umpire Dale Ford concurred and overruled the decision, calling Henderson out. Yankee Manager Lou Piniella based his protest around the fact that the home-plate umpire made the final call. “The first-base umpire was right in line with the play,” Piniella said. “He really never asked for the home-plate umpire. (Ford) just came over and volunteered. Truthfully, the first-base umpire was in perfect position for the play.” Said Henderson: “I don’t see how they can do that. There was no doubt in my mind, I didn’t run out of the baseline. My body was in line. If I was out of the baseline, I couldn’t have reached the bag.” Television replays showed Henderson stepping outside the baseline with both feet, but the dispute became moot when Willie Randolph and Gary Ward delivered RBI singles. . . . Joyner’s third-inning home run off Dennis Rasmussen was nothing new for the Yankee pitcher. It was the 15th home run allowed by Rasmussen this season--all of them coming with the bases empty and on the road. Three innings later, however, Dick Schofield spoiled that record with a three-run home run, coming on Rasmussen’s last pitch of the afternoon. . . . When Piniella replaced Rasmussen with Ron Guidry, it marked Guidry’s first relief appearance since May 17, 1985, when Guidry was called upon to retire Reggie Jackson in a victory over the Angels. . . . Mauch was asked if the continual booing of Moore by Angel fans was beginning to affect the relief pitcher. “I’m sure there’s an awareness,” Mauch said. “You’re talking to a guy who managed nine years in Philadelphia. The crowd reaction didn’t bother me there, but I could understand if it bothered somebody else.”