Angels Get Victory in 9th, 7-6 : Two-Out Single by Joyner Off Cary Defeats Yankees

Who was first on first Tuesday night at Anaheim Stadium?

Through 8 1/2 innings, it was nearly as dead a heat as the score, which was tied, 6-6.

For the New York Yankees, first baseman Don Mattingly had gone four for four with a home run and four RBIs.

For the Angels, first baseman Wally Joyner had gone two for three with a home run and an RBI.

But Joyner had one at-bat coming in the ninth. And in the Angels’ 7-6 victory before a crowd of 28,260, he who hit last laughed best.

Joyner’s two-out, opposite-field single off Yankee reliever Chuck Cary (3-4) drove home Claudell Washington from second base to give the Angels a victory after they had trailed by scores of 2-0 and 4-2--and, after they led, 6-4, in the ninth.

But once Angel reliever Bryan Harvey squandered that advantage, surrendering a two-run single to Luis Polonia, Joyner’s third hit was required before the Angels could win their fourth consecutive game and move to within four games of the first-place Oakland Athletics in the American League West.

Joyner would not have gotten the chance had Harvey been able to preserve the victory for Mike Witt or Cary had not given up a one-out double to Washington in the ninth or Yankee Manager Bucky Dent had not decided to intentionally walk Chili Davis with two outs.

The latter is what is known as a percentage move, based on the coincidence that both Cary and Joyner are left-handed. That supposedly made a better match for Cary than the switch-hitting Davis, except for the fact that Joyner had singled in his previous two at-bats against the relief pitcher.

Dent had Davis walked anyway. Joyner stepped to the plate and stroked an opposite-field flare down the left-field line, a perfect slice that finally decided an imperfect game.

“Some people are meant to succeed in those situations,” said a grateful Doug Rader, the Angel manager. “Wally Joyner is one of them. He’s got a bucket load of confidence right now.”

Part of that stemmed from Joyner’s fourth-inning confrontation against Yankee starter Walt Terrell, which ended in Joyner’s 15th home run of the season--his 13th since the All-Star break.

That momentarily forged a 2-2 tie before Mattingly, who had already driven in New York’s first two runs with two singles, delivered a two-run home run in the fifth inning, rounding off his season totals at 20 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Mattingly also singled in his next at-bat and walked during the Yankees’ two-run ninth inning.

“Mattingly’s just killed us this year,” Rader said. “When he’s swinging the bat well, he’s incredible.”

Yet, the Angels survived, although Witt’s bid for his ninth victory of 1989 was an immediate casualty. Witt had waited long for this opportunity, since Aug. 16. Before that, he’d awaited his eighth victory since July 9.

So these moments don’t happen along often.

It would have been an ugly victory for Witt, not that he would have minded. With an overall record of 8-13--1-6 in his first 11 starts after the All-Star break--Witt was starved for a victory. He would have gladly accepted one on a night when his pitching line read:

Five innings, nine hits, four runs, four strikeouts and one wild pitch.

Witt fell behind, 1-0, after one inning and trailed, 2-0, after three. He yielded seven baserunners in his first four innings and then got in serious trouble in the fifth, when Polonia singled and Mattingly followed with the two-run home run.

The Yankees took a quick lead when, with one out in the first, Polonia singled to left field, stole second and scored on Mattingly’s single. Mattingly advanced as far as third, moving up on a wild pitch pitch, but was stranded when Witt struck out Don Slaught.

In the third, Steve Sax led off with a single and took second on an infield out. Then, Mattingly delivered again, singling to left for his second RBI.

Jesse Barfield also singled in the inning--hitting a sharp one-hopper that bowled over Angel second baseman Johnny Ray--but Witt averted further damage when he retired Slaught on a deep fly to center field.

By the fifth, Witt was working with a 2-2 tie, but not for long. With one out in the inning, Witt surrendered a single to Polonia and then Mattingly hit his 20th home run into the right-field seats.

However, when the Angels rallied for four runs in the fifth to take a 6-4 advantage, Witt was the pitcher of record and was positioned at last for a victory, provided the Angel bullpen cooperated.

Willie Fraser kept Witt’s bid alive through the eighth, shutting out New York on two hits over three innings. But in the ninth, Harvey encountered instant trouble as Randy Velarde and Steve Balboni opened the inning with successive singles.

After a sacrifice bunt by Sax, Harvey pitched to Polonia, who lined a two-run single to center. The score was tied, Witt’s victory was history and Rader had to summon a third reliever, Bob McClure, to clean up Harvey’s mess.

“The shame of it is, is that we couldn’t do it for Witt,” Rader said. “I can’t remember the last time Harvey hasn’t finished up.”

Instead, it was left to Joyner to finish up. And in the ninth inning, in the final round of Mattingly-Joyner, he who went last finished first.

Angel Notes

Proving to be an unexpectedly slow healer, Dick Schofield had his left hand re-examined by Angel team physician Lewis Yocum Tuesday evening. Schofield broke a bone in the hand when he was hit by a Scott Bankhead pitch on Aug. 10 and, apparently, isn’t close to being re-activated. Said Angel Manager Doug Rader: “It’s becoming more and more evident that that it’s going to take longer than we expected.” So long, in fact, that the Angels decided to call Gary Disarcina, their shortstop at double-A Midland this year, and add him to the roster for the remainder of the season. Disarcina, 21, batted .286 with four home runs, 54 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 126 at Midland, but hasn’t played since Sept. 1, when the minor-league season ended. “I haven’t done anything then,” Disarcina said. “They just told me, ‘Go home and get some rest and get ready for spring training.’ Then, on Saturday, they called and said, ‘Your plane ticket’s waiting for you. Come on out.’ ”

Add Disarcina: A senior at the University of Massachusetts, he had just enrolled for the fall semester when the phone call from Anaheim came. “I was just getting settled in at school,” Disarcina said. “I got all my classes and bought a couple of books. But, I’m grateful for the opportunity.” The rookie, who wears Bobby Grich’s old No. 4, joined the Angels Tuesday and reports that “everybody’s been real friendly, but they told me to watch out for my shoelaces.” Such as? “Everybody I’ve come in contact with except Bert Blyleven,” he said.

Monday, Yocum completed what he called “successful” arthroscopic surgery on Bill Schroeder’s right elbow. Several bone spurs were removed during the two-hour operation. Yocum said Schroeder is expected to be recovered before the Angels begin spring training next February. . . . Chuck Finley threw in the bullpen before Tuesday’s game, completing his final tuneup before making his return to the Angel rotation Friday. Finley, who hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 21, and Jim Abbott are the Angel starters for Friday’s rain-makeup doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.

Middle Man: Willie Fraser, Angel middle reliever, gets the job done. Elliott Teaford’s story, Page 4.