Angels Lose a Game but Regain a Starter

Kirk McCaskill received his long-awaited wish Saturday night: a chance to pitch. As happy endings go, however, this one left a little to be desired.

McCaskill, fresh from the disabled list after various minor league show-and-tells, proved that his once-injured right elbow has healed, relatively speaking. On a night when the Angels would lose, 12-5, allow 17 hits--five by Alan Trammell--and contribute two costly errors, McCaskill may have been one of the few encouraging diversions.

McCaskill allowed three runs in his third career major league relief appearance, to be sure, but he also lasted four innings, which is more than you can say for starter Jerry Reuss (3-1).

For the second consecutive night, an Angel starting pitcher was gone before the third inning. Friday, it was Jack Lazorko who made an early departure. It was Reuss’ turn Saturday.

This time, McCaskill, who took reliever Donnie Moore’s place on the active roster Saturday, was waiting impatiently in the bullpen. Ever since he completed the second of three appearances with Angel minor league teams, McCaskill has said he was ready to return to the starting rotation. Unconvinced, Angel management kept wanting to see more.

Now it knows.

“I’d been happy as hell if he wouldn’t have pitched tonight,” Mauch said. “But since he did, I’m glad about what I saw.”

McCaskill gave up 6 hits, walked 1 and struck out 1. If nothing else, the Angels learned they can count on McCaskill for a starting appointment Thursday at Milwaukee.

“He showed me enough that I’m anxious to put him back in,” Mauch said.

For a brief while, it looked as if the Angels might present McCaskill with more pleasant news, mainly a victory. They chased Tiger starter Walt Terrell in the fifth inning and even whittled Detroit’s lead to one run entering the seventh. Then came five more runs (three charged to McCaskill and two to DeWayne Buice), and that was that.

Despite the circumstances--Moore’s persistent rib-cage injury, Reuss’ continued misfortune, a thin Angel bullpen--McCaskill was, well, happy. It was his first appearance since April 20. Back then, he was 2-0 with a 2.57 earned-run average. It grew to 3.24 Saturday night.

“Selfishly, I’m glad I got a chance to go out there,” McCaskill said. “I didn’t want Jerry to have the tough luck he had, but it was great to get out there and get in a ballgame.”

The McCaskill report card included high marks for effort and so-so grades for his curveball. It was to be expected, said Mauch, who predicted better things next Thursday. “He will fix that,” he said.

As for the Angels, they would have needed a toolbox to salvage Saturday night’s game. Trammell’s five hits raised his batting average 10 points to .337. Chet Lemon added three hits, as did Mike Heath. And so on and so forth.

Asked if the third-place Tigers, who trail the Eastern Division-leading New York Yankees by four games, looked like serious playoff contenders, Mauch said: “They look like they ought to be 15 games ahead the way they hit against us. They can’t find anything but holes with their bats.”

McCaskill probably didn’t expect such an early call. Then again, the Angels probably didn’t expect Reuss to allow six runs in two innings.

“A couple of the wheels came off early in the game on the defense,” Mauch said.

Reuss’ evening began to deteriorate shortly after Tom Brookens, the Tiger leadoff batter, grounded back to the mound. From that point, it was much like the bad old days at Reuss’ most recent stop--Cincinnati--where he left an 0-5 record, 7.61 ERA and the National League behind.

First, Heath singled. Then Kirk Gibson did the same, as did Trammell, the All-Star shortstop who would leave Anaheim Stadium Saturday night with his first five-hit game of the season and fourth in his career. Trammell’s hit allowed Heath to score easily from second. A double play temporarily saved Reuss from more damage.

After Terrell disposed of the Angels in the first, the Tigers returned for more of Reuss. Lemon, who had four hits the previous evening, added another hit to his weekend total, this time bouncing a single to center. Darrell Evans was next and promptly lined a single to right. With runners on first and second, Darnell Coles flied out. The fly ball was deep enough, though, to allow Lemon time to tag and advance one base.

The rest becomes blurry. Jim Walewander, starting in place of Lou Whitaker, hit what should have been the start of a routine rundown play. Instead, his grounder to first baseman Wally Joyner produced an unearned run and the continuation of an inning gone bad.

Joyner fielded the grounder cleanly and threw to the plate, where catcher Bob Boone waited for Lemon to attempt to score. But Lemon ran back toward third base, forcing the rundown. Boone tossed the ball to third baseman Doug DeCinces, who threw the ball back to Boone. Everything was going as expected.

But as Lemon tried to elude Boone and DeCinces, Evans and Walewander dashed to third and second, respectively. Apparently distracted by Evans, Boone threw past DeCinces, allowing Lemon to score.

Once again, Brookens grounded out, but Heath followed with a double that scored Evans and Walewander. Gibson walked, and Trammell doubled, which brought home two more runs. Larry Herndon ended the rally with a grounder to short.

The brief performance was the second consecutive time Reuss has faltered. Last Monday night against the Boston Red Sox, Reuss gave up 11 hits and 6 earned runs in 5 innings. He received no decision.

Angel Notes

As expected, ailing reliever Donnie Moore was placed on the 15-day disabled list in another attempt to discover why a near-chronic rib-cage injury persists. According to Angel Manager Gene Mauch, Moore (2-2, 5 saves, 2.84 ERA) will undergo additional tests to possibly determine the specific cause and treatment for what has been described by team officials as “a nerve irritation in the right rib-cage area.” Moore no longer is bothered by a previous right-shoulder injury that, along with the sore ribs, led to his first stay on the disabled list beginning in late May and lasting until July 3. Said Mauch: “The way we did (the treatment) turned out to be exactly right for this (tapping his shoulder), but it didn’t do a damn thing for this (tapping his ribs). We’ve done everything that’s been advised.” Mauch said the Angels are unsure when Moore might return to the roster. “All the scans are going to be done again,” he said. “I don’t care how much it costs or how much time it costs (Moore). It’s important. There’s got to be an answer.”

More injury updates: Reserve catcher Darrell Miller (hands) was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 21-day list. That left the Angels with only one healthy catcher now that Butch Wynegar is sidelined with a swollen big toe on his right foot. Wynegar injured the toe Friday night while trying to beat out a grounder. He stepped on the edge of the bag, causing his toe to bend backward. Wynegar said he hopes to be back in the lineup by Thursday. Said Mauch: “His feet are ugly anyway, and that right one is double ugly.”