Falling Angels Can’t Hit the Brakes : Canseco Goes 4 for 4 as A’s Make It Two Straight, 4-0

Cookie Rojas doesn’t have a vote in such matters, but when the dugout conversation turned to American League most valuable player the other day, the Angel manager leaped to the front of the Jose Canseco coalition.

“Canseco should win it by far,” Rojas said before the opener of the Angels’ final 1988 series against the Oakland Athletics. “He’s going to hit at least 30 home runs, steal at least 30 bases, drive in 100 runs and hit .290 or better. He’s the MVP, without a doubt.”

Clearly, Rojas is a believer. No more convincing is needed here, as evidenced by the intentional walk Canseco received Thursday night just before Mark McGwire’s eighth-inning grand slam.

But in Friday night’s 4-0 Oakland victory, more convincing is precisely what Rojas got.

Canseco tied a career high with 4 hits in 4 at-bats, including two doubles and a stolen base, to help the A’s to their second consecutive victory over the Angels, dropping the Angels 15 1/2 games behind first place in the American League West.

Those four hits also tied the entire Angel output as the teammustered four singles against Oakland starter Todd Burns (4-0) and reliever Greg Cadaret. Burns had a one-hitter through seven innings, leaving with one out and two runners on base in the eighth. Cadaret came on to wrap up the victory, yielding only a two-out single to Tony Armas in the ninth.

Angel starter Chuck Finley (6-11), who allowed 9 hits in 7 innings, was the loser.

Ten days earlier, the Angels were four games above .500 and 9 1/2 games behind the front-running A’s. Since then, they have gone 3-7 and lost six games in the standings.

That’s what can happen when the offense that carried the Angels through their July high suddenly dries up. In their last six games, the Angels have totaled 11 runs--an average of 1.83 per game.

Had the A’s scored 1.00 runs Friday night, that would have been enough for victory. And Oakland had two runs by the end of the second inning, courtesy three singles and a walk.

It all happened after two outs. Finley had retired Carney Lansford and McGwire before Terry Steinbach singled to center. Then Don Baylor singled to left. Then Glenn Hubbard walked.

Suddenly, the bases were loaded.

And just as suddenly, two were emptied when Mike Gallego, Oakland’s .206-hitting reserve shortstop, stroked a single to right. Steinbach and Baylor both scored and Hubbard advanced to third. And the inning would have continued if Gallego hadn’t tried to take an extra base on the play--only to get thrown out at second, Chili Davis to Wally Joyner to Dick Schofield.

Canseco helped make it 3-0 in the third when he doubled after Tony Phillips walked. That moved Phillips to third, from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Lansford.

Canseco drove in the game’s final run after Phillips walked again and was bunted to second base in the fifth inning. Canseco hit his second double of the game to score Phillips for Canseco’s 91st RBI of the season.

Canseco also hit a single in the eighth inning and stole second base. It was Canseco’s 31st steal of the season after being thwarted on two earlier attempts Friday by Angel catcher Bob Boone.

Contrast those numbers to those of Canseco’s rival in the 1986 AL Rookie of the Year balloting Wally Joyner. Joyner has 8 home runs, 8 stolen bases and 61 RBIs. And on this night, he went 0 for 4, leaving two runners stranded by flying to left field for the last out of the eighth inning.

The eighth inning represented the Angels’ only real scoring threat against Burns. With one out, Burns surrendered his second and third hits of the game--singles to Schofield and Devon White--before Oakland Manager Tony LaRussa decided to bring Cadaret in from the bullpen.

Cadaret came on and retired Johnny Ray and Joyner on fly balls to end the inning.

Before that, Armas had the Angels’ only hit against Burns--a line drive single to left in the second inning. During one stretch, Burns retired 18 of 20 batters, walking only Schofield and Ray in that span.

Burns pitched 7 innings, yielding 3 hits and 3 walks and struck out 2. Finley allowed 9 hits and walked 3 and struck out 4.

Angel Notes

Greg Minton had uplifting news on the condition of his injured right foot. “I finally can put a shoe on it,” said Minton, proudly displaying a loosely laced red cleat. “That’s the first time I’ve been able to do that. You should’ve seen me on the team flight up here. I was wearing a suit and tie, a gold watch, a tie clasp--and I was barefoot. I’m sure the kangaroo court is going to get me real good for that one.” Minton, still not close to pitching condition, said he was disappointed to sit out the Angels’ final 1988 series in Oakland. Last year, across the bay, Minton was all but booed out of Candlestick Park when he pitched for the Giants. “I’d love to come into a game here and let the people see my stats on the board,” said Minton, who is second to Bryan Harvey on the Angels in both saves (6) and earned-run average (2.94). “But, I don’t know if that’s going to work out.” . . . Chili Davis, another ex-Giant who knows the sound of Candlestick Park boos, was welcomed to Oakland Alameda County Stadium Thursday night with some intense heckling from the bleachers, just for old time’s sake. “I understand Chili had a real interesting night in the outfield,” Minton said.