Buckner Hit in 10th, Moore’s Out Give Rojas First Win, 4-2

As Donnie Moore and Bill Buckner and Cookie Rojas learned again Wednesday night, good things do come to those who wait--provided you get to play enough innings.

Moore, who has waited almost 11 months between victories, and Buckner, the Angels’ first baseman-designated hitter in-waiting, were the principals in Rojas’ first win as a major league manager, a 4-2, 10-inning decision over the Chicago White Sox before 7,017 chilled fans at Comiskey Park.

In the top of the 10th inning, it was Buckner’s two-run pinch single that broke a 2-2 tie. And in the bottom of the 10th, it was Moore who made Buckner’s hit stand up--squirming out of a two-on, two-out jam to earn his first victory since May 15, 1987.

Moore gave up a one-out single to Harold Baines and a two-out walk to Greg Walker before retiring Mark Salas on a grounder to first base for the game’s final out.

“It’s been awhile, man,” Moore said, savoring a postgame plate of ribs along with the victory. “It seems like it’s been two years. I don’t even count last year.”

Last year, of course, was a lost year for Moore--a season-long struggle with a mysterious back ailment that wasn’t properly diagnosed until October. Moore ultimately underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his lower back, but before that, he had been able to pitch in just 14 games during 1987, saving only five.

“Last year was like a dream--a bad dream, a nightmare,” Moore said. “It felt good to throw again like I did tonight, I’ll tell you that.”

Moore inherited a 2-1 lead and a runner on third base from DeWayne Buice in the bottom of the ninth inning. He yielded a game-tying sacrifice fly to left field by Kenny Williams and a bloop single to Donnie Hill before escaping the inning via an assist from shortstop Dick Schofield, who made a fine run-and-throw play on an infield chopper by Lance Johnson.

Then, in the top of the 10th, Wally Joyner led off with a single, his third hit, and Devon White walked. One out later, Jack Howell, fouling off nearly a dozen pitches by Chicago reliever Bobby Thigpen, drew another walk to load the bases.

That set the scene for Buckner, who, at age 38, has been pushed into the wings, serving as high-priced backup to both Joyner at first base and Brian Downing as designated hitter. Buckner’s role is pinch-hitting now and on a 2-2 pitch by Thigpen, he did his job--bounding a single up the middle to score both Joyner and White.

“Buckner can be outstanding in that role,” Rojas said, “and he proved it there. He was the right man in the right situation.”

Since the beginning of spring training, Buckner has felt more like the Angels’ odd man out. Expressing his desire for at least 400 at-bats in 1988, Buckner went as far as to request a trade before Rojas sat him down for a chat that emphasized diminished expectations.

“I talked to him in spring training and told him that with Wally Joyner at first base, it’s going to be tough to get him the 500, 400 at-bats he wants,” Rojas said. “That’s like saying to Don Mattingly, ‘Well, we have Bill Buckner and we’d like to give him 300 (of Mattingly’s) at-bats. Joyner is the same kind of player, an outstanding player who drives in 100 runs every year and hits 25 to 30 home runs.

“You have to play Wally Joyner. I explained to Buckner that I thought it would be outstanding for this ballclub for him to accept this (pinch-hitting) situation.”

Buckner said he has. Kind of.

“I really like to pinch-hit,” he said. “It’s exciting, it’s fun. But on the other hand, I like to play every day.

“Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. That’s the best way I can look at it. I’m just surviving.”

So far, Buckner has appeared in both of the Angels’ first two games of the season. He has been a pinch-hitter in both. He is 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs and a game-winning hit.

At this rate, he is at least assured of 162 at-bats.

Moore turned Buckner’s two-run pinch-single into Rojas’ first victory as the Angel manager. After Joyner stepped on first base for the game’s final out, he flipped the ball to Moore, who might have had half a mind to keep it as his own memento.

But this moment belonged to Rojas, so when the rookie manager extended his hand to shake Moore’s in congratulations, what he got instead was the game ball.

Another one could have been given Dan Petry, whose six-plus shutout innings were all but lost in the extra-inning shuffle. Petry, coming off an 0-4, 9.50 ERA spring, held the White Sox to two hits through six innings before allowing consecutive singles by Walker and Carlton Fisk to open the seventh.

At that point, Rojas replaced Petry with Buice, who got out of the inning but couldn’t protect the victory for Petry, putting the tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“I wish to hell Dan Petry had gotten that win,” Rojas said. “He pitched a hell of a ballgame. That has to erase a lot of doubts people had about his arm and about his back.

“He had a lot of movement on his fastball and he was very effective with his breaking pitches. I tell you, he’s going to win a hell of a lot of games for this club this year.”

Angel Notes

Cookie Rojas took issue with former pitcher Jim (Mudcat) Grant’s claim on ABC’s Nightline that the Angels were lagging behind most clubs in hiring minorities. “What about Eddie Rodriguez, our A-ball manager (at Quad Cities)?” Rojas said. “What about Max Oliveras, our manager in double-A (at Midland)? We also had Winston Llenas, who was the manager at Edmonton for years. This club has hired a lot of minorities.” Llenas is now coaching for the Toronto Blue Jays but the Angels have hired another minority, Chuck Hernandez, as their pitching coach at Edmonton. And, of course, there’s Rojas. “If you look at it,” Rojas said, “what affirmative action has done is made teams aware. It’s given chances to people--if they’re qualified. I don’t think the Angels made me the manager just because I’m a minority. I think they offered me the job because I’m qualified. I’ve been in the organization seven years, I’ve been an advance scout, I’ve coached first and third base in the major leagues, I’ve managed in the winter leagues, I’ve worked with (General Manager) Mike Port for seven years. I hope that was the case, that they hired me because I’m qualified. And there will be others. As soon as Don Baylor retires, he’ll be a manager for some team. Willie Stargell, who’s now (a coach) with Atlanta, should get a shot, too. Those are qualified people.”

Rojas also scoffed at trade rumors involving the Yankees’ Dave Winfield and an Angel package including Johnny Ray. “Do you believe in April Fool’s?” Rojas said. “That’s just something that comes out of New York--and that happens all the time. I don’t know anything (about Winfield), I don’t hear anything.” Had Rojas discussed Winfield with Port? “Only to talk about what the papers have said,” he said. And when a reporter jokingly asked Rojas where he would bat Winfield in the lineup, if and when, Rojas snapped, “I won’t bat him any place, because I’ve already got nine good regulars on this club.” . . . Rojas is wearing uniform number 2, switching from the nondescript 68 he wore during spring training. As a player, Rojas wore No. 16 with Philadelphia, No. 11 with Cincinnati and St. Louis and No. 1 with Kansas City. Why No. 2 now? “Number 2 tries harder,” said a grinning Rojas.