Angels Let Lead Get Away

When Wally Joyner began to hit, the Angels began to stir out of their early-season slumber. Their first baseman is now on a full-fledged roll, and he almost carried his teammates with him Thursday night.

Joyner drove in two runs but Bryan Harvey couldn’t hold the Blue Jays in the ninth inning and the teams were tied, 3-3, after nine.

The Angels took a 3-1 lead into the ninth principally on Joyner’s hitting. In going two for three, Joyner raised his average to .313 and extended his hitting streak to eight games and 17 of the last 18. In those 18 games, he is 27 for 60 (.450). He has nine RBIs in the last three games.

Although starting pitcher Kirk McCaskill was unable to get out of the fourth inning, a succession of relievers stifled Toronto’s offense until Harvey gave up a single, a double, George Bell’s sacrifice fly and a game-tying wild pitch in the ninth.

McCaskill, making his first start since May 10, left with the Blue Jays holding a 1-0 lead, built in the third on a walk, an error and a single by Fred McGriff. The Angels overcame that deficit in the fourth on Joyner’s single and Dante Bichette’s forceout and added a run in the fifth on an infield single, a walk and Joyner’s second single of the evening.

California used three pitcher in the sixth alone: Mike Fetters began the inning, but was relieved by Scott Bailes after walking Manny Lee and allowing a double to Junior Felix. Bailes walked Tony Fernandez and got Mookie Wilson to pop up to short before being relieved, in turn, by Mark Eichhorn. The side-armer threw just one pitch but the Angels’ infield turned it into a double play that ended the inning.

As has become normal for him this season, McCaskill constantly worked with runners on base. He escaped a first-and-third situation in the first and a first-and-second jam in the second--getting out of the latter trouble when left fielder Bichette leaped against the fence in left-center to rob Tony Fernandez of a home run.

McCaskill, who had issued 18 walks in his previous 35 1/3 innings, put himself in trouble in the third when he walked Wilson leading off the inning. He got Kelly Gruber on a fly to right, but third baseman Rick Schu couldn’t handle Bell’s shot to third. Wilson went to second on the error and scored on McGriff’s looping single to right-center.

An error and another walk in the fourth spelled the end to McCaskill’s outing. Fetters, who had started in McCaskill’s place last Saturday when he went home to be with his ailing son, came in with runners on first and second and no one out. Fetters defused the Blue Jays’ scoring threat by striking out Fernandez and inducing Wilson to ground into a double play.

Joyner’s hot hitting helped the Angels come back and take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning.

Davis began the inning with a walk and moved to second on Dave Winfield’s single to center. Davis scored on Joyner’s sharply hit single and Winfield went to third. Bichette, back in the lineup after a two-game absence, bounced into a force play, scoring Winfield.

The inning might have been more productive, as Schu singled to left and Gary Disarcina reached on an error by first baseman McGriff to load the bases, but Devon White’s bouncer to short became an inning-ending force play.

Another RBI single by Joyner padded the Angels’ lead to 3-1 in the fifth off John Cerutti. Davis reached on an infield single and Winfield walked. Davis was caught stealing third, but prolonged the rundown enough for Winfield to take second, and Winfield scored on Joyner’s soft single to right-center. Bichette followed with a single that sent Joyner to third, but Frank Wills came in to get Lance Parrish on a pop-up behind first.

Angel Notes

Infielder Rick Schu was recalled from Triple A Edmonton to replace the injured Jack Howell, and started at third base Thursday. Howell was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday because of a sprained left knee. Schu, who was optioned to Edmonton on May 19 when pitcher Mike Fetters was recalled, hit .286 in three games with the Trappers with one home run and three RBIs. “It wasn’t that long, but it was long enough,” said Schu, who was hitting .194 when he was sent down. . . . Gary Disarcina singled in the sixth for his first major-league hit in 10 at-bats. The crowd of 24,460 rewarded him with a round of applause.

Infielder Mark McLemore (sprained right wrist) was assigned to Edmonton for rehabilitation. Catcher Bill Schroeder (post-surgical elbow problems) was sent to Class A Palm Springs, also for rehabilitation. . . . Shortstop Dick Schofield said his strained hamstring “feels real good,” but wouldn’t put a timetable on his return.