Yankees’ Sanders Defuses Angel Rally

The neon lights may be bright on Broadway, but Neon Deion Sanders hasn’t been lighting up Yankee Stadium lately.

Facing demotion when rosters are reduced Monday, Sanders knew he had to make an impact Friday when he pinch-hit in the eighth inning with the score tied, 4-4, and runners on first and third. Yankee Manager Bucky Dent advised him simply to make contact--and use the speed that has enabled him to fly through the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds.

It worked. Sanders’ chopper to shortstop was hit too slowly to be turned into a double play, scoring Roberto Kelly and giving the Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Angels, who are 2-5 on their 13-game trip and have lost seven of their last nine.

“Bucky told me to hit the ball hard and stay out of the double play,” said Sanders, who was hitless in six at-bats. “I hit it soft and stayed out of the double play. I’m just trying to make a contribution when I get in there. Every at-bat, it’s important to do something. I don’t have to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”

The Angels hit the ball out of the park four times off former Dodger Tim Leary, but it was the Yankees who won after losing seven of their previous eight games.

“I felt that if he hit the ball on the ground, they weren’t going to double him up,” Dent said. “I told him, ‘Just put it in play.’ . . . I was getting pretty desperate right there. I needed a run.”

Angel Manager Doug Rader insisted he’s not desperate nor discouraged, not even by the failure of Bert Blyleven to get past the fourth inning for the second consecutive start.

“Bert Blyleven made some progress toward regaining his proficiency, we came back, and we demonstrated power and the ability to get 12 hits,” Rader said. “On the negative side, when you get four home runs and 12 hits, that should translate into more than four runs.”

According to Rader, Blyleven is “rushing too much, trying to be too overpowering.”

“He’s aware of it and he’s making some adjustments and getting closer,” Rader said. “It won’t be too much longer.”

The Angels aren’t getting any closer to first place in the American League West, early as it is to monitor such things. Only three Red Sox runs in the ninth against Oakland kept the Angels from falling six games behind the A’s. And, only John Orton’s first major league home run, in the fifth; Wally Joyner’s second home run of the season in the sixth and back-to-back homers by Claudell Washington and Devon White in the seventh kept Blyleven from absorbing another loss.

Willie Fraser (0-1) took the loss for giving up singles by Roberto Kelly and Rick Cerone before Sanders’ groundout. “We’ve been in position to win ballgames the last two nights and when things are clicking, we will,” Rader said.

Nothing clicked for Blyleven in the first inning. After yielding a home run to Steve Sax, two singles and a two-run double to Jesse Barfield in the first inning, he settled into a rhythm, as he had after giving up five runs in the first inning of his last start last Saturday at Minnesota. But again, his rhythm was disrupted, this time when he gave up consecutive singles to Mike Blowers, Steve Sax and Luis Polonia in the fifth. His record stayed at 0-2 and his ERA at 9.00.

“So far it’s been lose it, find it,” said the 39-year-old right-hander, who on Thursday signed a contract extension that’s guaranteed to pay him more than $2 million next season. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, which I always have for 20 years. You have to hope the little breaks start going your way.

“I have to quit getting behind in the count and make pitches that come in like watermelons. By the time they get there, they’re jumping all over it.”

Rader pointed out a fault in Blyleven’s mechanics, saying Blyleven needs to stay on top of the rubber and “stand extremely tall” on the mound to improve the angle of his pitches, but he didn’t fault Blyleven’s enthusiasm.

“The first inning is when he’s most charged up,” Rader said. “Why pitchers have trouble in the first inning is they generally try to do too much. He tries to get a little extra and doesn’t locate the ball particularly well.

“Some people ask if you wouldn’t expect that from a veteran, but by the same token, if he didn’t have the same fire, energy and desire he wouldn’t be pitching in his 22nd year.”

Scott Bailes, who pitched 2 1/3 strong innings of middle relief, admires Blyleven’s fire and said he looks up to Blyleven “whether he pitches a shutout or gives up a 20-run game. Bert’s too good a pitcher to feel bad for.”

Sanders is looking to stay up in the major leagues. “It’s been on my mind since the start of the season,” he said. “I just have to hope things happen for the best.”

Angel Notes

The Angels are likely to go with a 25-man squad and not pare down to 24 on Monday, when clubs must reduce their 27-man rosters. The Angels have 26 injury-free players and three--Greg Minton, Bob McClure and Bill Schroeder--on the disabled list.

The inflammation caused by biceps tendinitis in Chuck Finley’s arm has dissipated enough to ensure that he will start today as scheduled. . . . Friday’s lineup was the 15th used by Manager Doug Rader. . . . Dante Bichette has a hit in 12 of 15 starts. . . . Chili Davis’ fourth-inning double extended the Angels’ streak to 15 games with at least one double.

Bert Blyleven has given up five home runs in four starts for a career total of 403, seventh-most in major league history.