Angels Stumble in Fifth and Fall to Athletics, 4-3

Bert Blyleven’s third consecutive complete game Saturday was marred by an incomplete fifth inning, during which the Angels forgot such fundamental points of order as:

--Never walking the leadoff hitter while working with a three-run lead.

--Always getting the sure out at first base while working with a three-run lead.

--Always looking the runner back to third base before throwing to second on a stolen-base attempt.

With the Angels, however, it’s seldom as easy as it sounds, and with such simple matters left unattended, the Oakland Athletics were able to turn a three-run deficit into a 4-3 victory before 33,172 fans at the Oakland Coliseum.

The Angels played giveaway in the fifth inning, and they knew it. Contrition filled the Angel clubhouse as the inning was recounted, beginning with the walk Blyleven issued Oakland’s first hitter, Walt Weiss.

“That was stupid,” Blyleven said. “Seventy percent of all walks to leadoff hitters end up scoring. I set up the whole inning.”

Angel second baseman Mark McLemore took it from there after diving to stop a sharp grounder by Mike Gallego. On his knees, McLemore looked to throw to second base but lost his grip on the ball. By the time he righted himself and threw to first, Gallego had the play beaten.

“On that play, he should be satisfied to get one out,” Angel Manager Doug Rader chided. “And the easiest way to get that out is at first base--especially with a three-run lead.”

Weiss made it a two-run lead when he scored on a single by Luis Polonia. On the same hit, Gallego advanced to third, setting up a double steal that would catch Angel catcher Bill Schroeder well off-guard.

Polonia broke from first and Schroeder sprung from his crouch, firing the ball to second, not noticing Gallego breaking from third base. McLemore cut the ball off in front of second base, pumped once but made no throw, and watched Gallego step on home plate.

“It’s my fault,” Schroeder said. “I didn’t look (Gallego) back. I didn’t anticipate them trying to do anything like that. With no outs, I figured Polonia was just trying to get a bag, but I guess Gallego was going all the way.”

Good guess. Once the double steal was executed, the A’s were within a run and ready to tie. Polonia scored from second on a two-out single by Carney Lansford, who scored from first on a double into the right-center-field gap by Ron Hassey.

In the process, the Angels wasted seven other scoreless innings by Blyleven (2-1), Glenn Hoffman’s first home run since 1985 and another run manufactured entirely by the crazy legs of Devon White.

White scored the Angels’ third run in the fifth inning after singling and drawing several pickoff throws from A’s starter Curt Young (1-3). On one attempt, White took off for second and outran the throw from first baseman Lansford, who had trouble getting the ball out of his glove. On another, Gallego had the ball shoot out of his glove as he attempted to slap a tag on White, which sent White on a mad dash all the way home.

“When I get on base, there are a lot of ways I can score,” White said.

But this, undoubtedly, was a new one.

Momentarily, the Angels had a 3-0 lead, but only momentarily. The fifth-inning breakdown saw to that.

As the inning was dissected in Rader’s office, McLemore’s name surfaced in question after question. It was a tough two days in Oakland for McLemore, whose error Friday night led to a five-run inning by the A’s. If he makes that play, and the play on Gallego’s grounder Saturday, the Angels are spared at least eight runs.

“I hope you’re not pinning these last two days on Mark,” Rader said. “For some reason, when Mark makes a mistake, it seems to be amplified. I don’t know why that is.”

McLemore didn’t stick around to elaborate, dressing quickly and leaving the clubhouse without talking to writers.

With the specter of Johnny Ray looming over McLemore--Ray could return to the lineup as early as today--Rader was asked whether McLemore has begun to press.

“If that played a part in it, Mark would never have hit .350 during spring training,” Rader said.

“We certainly haven’t done anything to insinuate he’s going to be sent out. If he’s being too careful, it’s self-inflicted, because we haven’t said anything to him.”

Rader called McLemore’s defensive slump and Ray’s activation from the disabled list “all coincidental. People are starting to believe things that are non-existent. It makes what’s happening look worse than it is.”

And besides, Rader added, McLemore wasn’t acting alone in the fifth inning. If Blyleven doesn’t walk Weiss, if Schroeder checks the runner at third base. . . .

If one of those things gets done, the Angels get out of a four-run inning. But when all of them went neglected, the Angels were left waiting until today for the chance to get out of Oakland with a victory.

Angel Notes

Glenn Hoffman started at third base in place of slumping Jack Howell (.115) and marked the occasion by hitting his first home run since Sept. 28, 1985. . . . Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley struck out the side in the ninth inning to record his fifth save. Among his victims was rookie outfielder Brian Brady, called upon to pinch-hit in his second major-league at-bat. Brady went down on five pitches.