Saberhagen Shuts Door on Angels’ Season by Beating Them, 4-0

Still stuck on 89 for ‘89, the Angels officially began preparations for the 1990 baseball season Tuesday night.

The American League West championship they gamely pursued for more than five months will belong in hands other than the Angels’ for the 26th time in 29 years. Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to Kansas City at Anaheim Stadium, coupled with Oakland’s 4-3 victory over Texas, equalled elimination for the Angels on the 157th date of their regular-season schedule.

Only the Royals, who remained five games back with five to play, have a mathematical chance of tying Oakland for the title. With their 95th victory, the Athletics clinched at least a share of their second consecutive AL West championship.

Meanwhile, back at Anaheim, the Angels continue to spin their wheels with an 89-68 record. They won their 89th game last Wednesday and have since gone 0-5 against Cleveland and Kansas City.

They will get five more chances to reach the 90-victory level for the fourth time in their history, if nothing else.

Contention ended rather predictably for the Angels. They were beaten by young nemesis--and AL Cy Young favorite--Bret Saberhagen, who threw a six-hitter to improve to 22-6, lower his earned-run average to 2.19 and extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 27, a Kansas City record. By retiring pinch-hitter Jim Eppard on a fly ball to left field to complete the shutout, Saberhagen eclipsed Roger Nelson’s old Royal mark of 26 2/3 scoreless innings, set in 1972.

So, from the Angels’ vantage point, what’s new? This was Saberhagen’s 16 appearance against the Angels, and with it, he defeated the Angels for the ninth time in 12 decisions. He is 2-0 against them this season and 5-1 at Anaheim Stadium.

But seldom have the Angels made it easier for Saberhagen, who led, 3-0, before throwing his first pitch.

Angel starter Kirk McCaskill (15-10) didn’t retire a hitter until striking out Kurt Stillwell, the No. 7 batter in the Kansas City lineup. Before that, McCaskill:

--Hit leadoff man Kevin Seitzer with a pitch.

--Yielded a looping single to left field by Willie Wilson.

--Loaded the bases when George Brett beat out a grounder that skittered away from Angel second baseman Johnny Ray.

--Surrendered a two-run broken bat single to Bo Jackson.

--Gave up another infield single, this bouncing off the glove of shortstop Kent Anderson, to Jim Eisenreich.

--Gave up a run-scoring single to left field by Danny Tartabull.

To that point, the only out McCaskill had recorded was at second base, when Angel catcher Lance Parrish erased Jackson on a stolen-base try.

So at that point, Angel pitching coach Marcel Lachemann left the dugout to offer McCaskill a few words of advice.

McCaskill promptly settled down--he retired the next 12 hitters--but by then, Saberhagen was entrenched.

Saberhagen was in trouble only once, in the fifth inning, when Lance Parrish led off with the single and Jack Howell then hit a double to left field.

With runners on second and third an no outs, Saberhagen got two in a hurry when Kent Anderson hit a bouncer to Brett at first base. Brett scooped up the ball and stepped on the bag for one out, then watched as Parrish made a belated break for home.

On the run, Brett fired an off-balance throw to catcher Bob Boone, who made the tag on Parrish for a threat-killing double play. Saberhagen retired the next batter, Brian Downing, on a ground ball to shortstop and was out of the inning.

The Angels never put another runner on third base and reached second base only one other time. That was in the first inning, when Ray delivered a one-out single and was forced at second by Devon White, which was followed by a walk to Wally Joyner.

But Saberhagen left White on second base by striking out Chili Davis, his first of four strikeouts.

The only other hits Saberhagen gave up were fourth- and ninth-inning singles to Davis and an eighth-inning come-back grounder by Ray that the pitcher could only knock down.

Kansas City scored its fourth and final run in the fifth inning, a result of some lethargic play by Angel right fielder Claudell Washington.

With one out, Seitzer hit a sinking line drive to right, which Washington attempted to field on the bounce with a back-handed swipe. Bad swipe. Washington whiffed on the ball and by the time he could retrieve it and relay it back to the infield, Seitzer was on third base.

One out later, Seitzer scored on a wild pitch by McCaskill.

McCaskill pitched a complete game, his sixth of the season, but lost for the third time in four decisions. In five September starts, McCaskill is 1-3 with two no-decisions.