Yankees Take Leave Looking Hopeless

The New York Yankees came into Anaheim this weekend hoping to pick up some ground on the American League East-leading Detroit Tigers, but staggered out of town Sunday after three demoralizing losses, looking a lot more like a team that is trailing by 15 1/2 games than one that remains 5 1/2 games out of first.

It isn’t just that the Yankees were routed by the Angels for the second day in a row. Sunday, the Angels romped to a 13-2 victory in front of 40,406 after coasting to a 12-0 win Saturday. It’s more than that. If their lack of intensity is any indication, the Yankees are beginning to look as if they have, well, given up.

“This is rock bottom,” Yankee Manager Lou Piniella said after watching his team commit four errors and a number of blunders that don’t show up in the box score. “A loss is a loss, but you certainly don’t want to get blown out two days in a row like we did.

“We just didn’t play well defensively. It’s been a real problem lately. They (the players) feel as bad as anybody and if some of them don’t, then they don’t have any pride.”

The Yankees still may have a measure of pride intact, but their pitching staff is in a shambles and their defense might be worse.

It was obvious from the outset Sunday that the Yankees were out of gas . . . or at least out of sync.

Johnny Ray hit a one-out shot down the left-field line that left fielder Jack Clark misplayed into a triple. When Clark finally cornered the ball against the wall, he picked it up and made a lackadaisical--not to mention errant--throw to cutoff man Rafael Santana, who made a less-than-all-out effort to catch it. The ball tipped off his glove and rolled toward the Angel dugout where Yankee pitcher Tommy John sauntered over just in time to watch it trickle into the dugout, allowing Ray to score.

The tone for this one was set. About three hours--and 19 Angel hits--later, it was over.

“When you’re scuffling, like we are, a team looks to its veteran people for a good game,” said John (8-6), who lasted just 4 innings and surrendered 9 runs (8 earned) and 12 hits. “I didn’t give them that and I apologize. I had good stuff, but I didn’t get outs.”

Indeed. It was a great day in the park for a host of Angel batters. Tony Armas was 4 for 5 with 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored. Chili Davis was 2 for 4 with a three-run homer. Jack Howell was 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs. Bob Boone was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs.

All of which was good news for starter Chuck Finley, who is accustomed to considerably less support. Before Sunday, the Angels scored more than 5 runs in just 5 of Finley’s 24 starts. This time, Finley (8-12) had a 9-0 lead when he left in the sixth inning.

The Angels scored solo runs in the first, second and third innings before trying to match Saturday’s nine-run, second-inning outburst in the fifth. They managed to push six runs across this time with six hits and a little help from Santana, who made two errors on the same play.

Brian Downing and Davis hit back-to-back singles when George Hendrick hit a perfect double-play grounder to Santana. The Yankee shortstop tossed the ball in the air and caught it himself as second baseman Willie Randolph stood helplessly on the bag. Then Santana spun around and threw it past Randolph, allowing Downing to score and Davis to take third.

Armas followed with a double off right fielder Dave Winfield’s glove. One out later, Boone hit a fly ball to left that Clark initially came in on. The ball went over his head and landed about 5 feet in front of wall and Hendrick and Armas scored.

Howell doubled to right-center to score Boone and Devon White’s single to right brought home Howell. Only one of the runs was unearned, but with decent defense, the Angels score just one run.

“There’s no explaining (the sweep),” Rojas said. “The Yankees are loaded with talent. But pitching is the name of the game and their pitchers are struggling. Plus, we did get every conceivable break the last two days.”

The question is whether those breaks have broken the Yankees’ spirit. New York has lost 4 consecutive games--tying their longest losing streak of the season--and 7 of the last 9, but still is within striking distance of Detroit.

For much of this year, the Yankees have been front-runners. They were alone in first place for 48 days (May 3 to June 19) and had at least a share of first for 61 of the first 77 days of the season. Now, they will have to overtake both Detroit and the Boston Red Sox to win the division.

“The easy thing to do when your going like this is to throw your hands in the air and say, ‘Woe is me,’ ” John said. “The ball is in the sun and the chopper goes over your head. But you’ve got to grit your teeth a little harder and dig a little deeper.”

The Yankees are digging all right. They’re digging a hole that soon may be too deep to climb out of.

Angel Notes

Left-hander Chuck Finley picked up the victory Sunday, but he didn’t look too happy when Manager Cookie Rojas removed him with two out in the sixth inning after he yielded an infield single and a walk. Finley, who led, 9-0, at the time, wasn’t around to express his feelings after the game, but Rojas defended his decision. “He looked a little tired and with the big lead, why force him?” Rojas said. “And he didn’t have the same velocity he had in the early innings.” . . . The New Yankee Killers: Last season, the Angels had 93 hits and 47 runs against the Yankees. In their last 6 games against New York, the Angels scored 61 runs and have 94 hits. The 77 runs the Angels scored in 12 games this season against the Yankees is the most since they scored 85 runs in 18 games during the 1962 season. . . . Yankee Manager Lou Piniella isn’t planning any pep talks for his sagging club. “It’s just a question of the team playing,” he said. “We’re not having any more team meetings. We’ve had more meetings than they had when President Reagan was at the Kremlin.”

The Mystery of the Angel Starters, Continued: The question of whether Dan Petry’s ankle is healed should be answered this week. Petry is scheduled to come off the disabled list Thursday when the rosters expand and he should move into the rotation shortly thereafter. The cause of the nerve irritation in Kirk McCaskill’s right arm continues to elude the Angels’ team physicians, however. A series of recently concluded tests didn’t provide answers and Rojas said he has advised that McCaskill have X-rays taken of his mouth. “Sometimes an abscessed tooth can cause arm problems,” Rojas said. Obviously, the Angels are reaching at this point. . . . The Yankees activated Willie Randolph Sunday. Randy Velarde was sent down to triple-A Columbus. Randolph, who was on the 15-day disabled list because of a pulled rib-cage muscle, was 2 for 4, including a single to center and an infield single he got when he dove head first into the bag to beat a throw from shortstop Dick Schofield.