Abbott Returns to Toronto With Win

The last time Jim Abbott pitched in this city, it was 1985 and he was showing off his stuff after being drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school.

Fours years later, he returned with an Olympic gold medal, a 92-m.p.h. fastball and an Angel uniform.

Things have worked out about the way he hoped they would.

“Going to school (University of Michigan) was the best decision I ever made,” Abbott said. “I think I probably got to the majors a lot quicker by skipping Medicine Hat (Toronto’s rookie league affilitate).”

Friday night, Abbott continued his progress toward becoming a polished major league pitcher, and the Blue Jays maintained their major slide as the Angels beat Toronto, 5-3, before a crowd of 24,188 at Exhibition Stadium.

It was the Angels’ eighth victory in nine games and the Blue Jays’ 10th loss in their last 12.

Abbott went 6 1/3 innings, giving up only four hits and two runs and lowering his earned-run average to 3.48. Manager Doug Rader said the rookie left-hander is obviously becoming more relaxed and, as a result, is throwing less and pitching more.

For his part, Abbott said he’s becoming more comfortable with each start but hasn’t lost the sense of awe associated with his ascent to the majors.

“If you would have told me two months ago that I’d be 2-2 in the big leagues right now, I’d have been thrilled,” Abbott said.

The Angels, who have the best ERA (2.68) in the American League, are excited about all of their pitchers.

Bryan Harvey picked up his fifth save but gave up his first run of the season when Nelson Liriano, who has a penchant for breaking streaks, hit a pinch homer leading off the ninth inning. Liriano also had pinch hits to break up no-hitters by Angel Kirk McCaskill and Texas’ Nolan Ryan

“Hell fire,” said Harvey, who has an ERA of 0.79 after going all spring and eight outings this season without giving up a run. “Nobody thought it was going to last forever.”

The way the season has gone lately for the Angels, anything seems possible. Everyone in the lineup either had a hit, an RBI or a run.

But the focus remains on the pitchers.

Abbott started the game by setting down the first nine batters, and it wasn’t until the sixth, when Fred McGriff lined a single to left field, that Toronto had an undisputed hit.

Officially, it was hit No. 3, but the Blue Jays’ first hit was a pop fly that bounced out of Wally Joyner’s glove as he ran back to the plate, into right field. The second was a ground ball to third base that Glenn Hoffman fielded cleanly. He pump-faked toward home as Bob Brenly scored, before throwing late to first. A fielder’s choice seemed more in order than a hit.

Abbott wasn’t complaining about the official scorer’s rulings, however. He was more upset about the four walks--and three stolen bases--he gave up.

“I never have an argument with whether or not a ball is a hit or an error,” he said. “If I’m thinking about that, I’m in real trouble.

“I felt I had real good stuff. I had good velocity and a good slider at times. I cruised through some innings but fought myself at times, too. The steals did bother me a little.”

Abbott’s delivery is not difficult to read, and opposing teams are running on him at almost every opportunity. Toronto stole three bases the last time he faced them. And Friday, Brenly, Toronto’s designated hitter who had one steal last season, stole second base in the fifth.

“His ball was darting and shooting all over the strike zone in the early innings,” catcher Bill Schroeder said. “He was throwing really hard, too. But the walks and stolen bases shook him up a little.

“You want a guy to be quick to the plate but not at the expense of his delivery. Still, when Brenly steals on you, you better figure out something.”

Rader would like to see Abbott do a better job of holding runners close, but he’s not ready to hit the panic button.

“Holding runners is certainly a problem, but it’s not anything of real concern,” Rader said. “He’s not giving our catchers much of a chance, but he’s just not very deceiving by the nature of his mechanics. Refinements will come, but it’s more important now to establish stuff and confidence.”

Confidence is the name of the game for about everyone in an Angel uniform these days.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a walk, a ground-out, a stolen base and Fernandez’s pop-up that Joyner couldn’t handle. But the Angels made the score 1-1 in the fifth with singles by Hoffman, Kent Anderson and Brian Downing.

Two walks and an infield single accounted for a Blue Jay run in the bottom of the fifth, but Toronto’s 2-1 lead was short-lived. Johnny Ray led off the sixth with a single, and Devon White followed with his second triple in as many nights, a drive into the right-field corner. Then Chili Davis gave the Angels a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to right.

Davis made the score 4-2 in the eighth, slamming a two-out solo homer to left-center field. Davis not only knocked the ball out of the park, he also chased Toronto starter John Cerutti. The left-hander’s record dropped to 0-2 despite his 2.04 earned-run average.

The Angels went ahead, 5-2, in the ninth on Hoffman’s double and two ground-outs. And the streaking Angels rolled within two games of first-place Oakland in the AL West.

Then the Angels crowded around the television in the clubhouse and laughed at “the Arsenio Hall Show.” When you’re winning, the fun never ceases.

Angel Notes

Shortstop Dick Schofield, who has missed 25 days because of a strained chest muscle, will come off the disabled list today, and outfielder Brian Brady has been optioned to Edmonton. Claudell Washington, who has been home in Orinda, Calif., with his daughter, Camille, 15, is expected to rejoin the team today. Camille was hospitalized after a household accident. If Washington doesn’t return, the Angels will have only three outfielders until he does. Manager Doug Rader said Schofield might not start today, depending on how cold and damp it is. No matter what the weather is, Rader should have a hard time putting shortstop Kent Anderson on the bench. Anderson is hitting .278, and the Angels are 12-5 when he’s played. “He’s done a fine job,” Rader said. “Schofield’s been out this long and we really haven’t missed him. I never thought I’d be able to say that.” Schofield, who says he is ready, eager and bored, hasn’t missed Anderson’s contributions. “They way we’ve been playing, I thought the team was going to come in and beat me up to keep me out a little longer,” he said, smiling.

The success of the Angel pitching staff, especially the starters, has meant a lot of inactivity for right-hander Dan Petry, who lost his position in the rotation to rookie Jim Abbott this spring. Petry, who has made one appearance in 20 games, has a 5.19 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. Opponents have hit .323 against him this year. “It’s an unpleasant situation for Dan, but from a purely selfish standpoint, it’s a perfect situation for us,” Rader said. “The starters have worked past the middle relief roles, and that’s basically the reason he’s in this predicament.” Petry acknowledges that it’s been frustrating, but he says he doesn’t have much to complain about. “With the situations we’ve been in, it’s not like they’re saying, ‘Ha, ha, we’ll really show him and not pitch him.’ I’d like to get to the point where I can help the ballclub. But right now I’m in the situation where I’m helping the team by not having to pitch.”

Just how good has the Angel pitching been? The team ERA in eight games before Friday night was 1.43 with three shutouts. Opponents have scored more than three runs only 10 times this season. And the Angels are 11-2 when they score four or more runs. . . .Toronto’s George Bell, who originally suffered an injured right shoulder while swinging at a pitch during last Saturday’s game in Anaheim, missed Friday night’s game after aggravating the injury.