Angels’ ‘B’ Team Wins, 6-2 : Baseball: Patchwork infield backs Blyleven’s strong pitching to turn back Kansas City.

The Angel shortstop was playing his first game since March, the second baseman hadn’t played the position since high school and the first baseman’s borrowed glove was so uncomfortable that he was never sure he caught the ball.

“It was the bomb squad out there tonight,” Dick Schofield said.

For such an unlikely group, the Angels’ infield held together surprisingly well Wednesday night in a 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Not that the Hall of Fame combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance was equaled in grace by Schofield to Gary DiSarcina to Lance Parrish, but when second baseman Johnny Ray’s sore right shoulder needed a rest and first baseman Wally Joyner developed an inflamed right knee running out a grounder in the first inning, style points mattered less than finding warm bodies.

“The biggest adjustment was trying to turn the double play. I almost got killed out there,” said DiSarcina, who was shifted from short to second upon Schofield’s return from a strained hamstring. “I wondered if I was going to make it through the game without a broken leg. Turning that DP (in the first inning) was kind of a shock.”

Almost as much of a shock as Parrish got when he was asked to move from catcher to first. Joyner’s injury isn’t believed to be serious, but he will be examined today by Dr. Steve Joyce, the Royals’ physician.

“I was the happiest guy alive when the game was over,” said Parrish, who last played first in 1988 and recalled starting there only once or twice in his career. “I didn’t want no more chances.”

The Angels capitalized on their fifth chance to reach .500 in the past eight games, evening their record (27-27) for the first time since they were 7-7 on April 25.

A snappy curveball and effective off-speed pitches enabled Bert Blyleven (5-3) to win his fourth consecutive game, which in effect balanced the loss of Ray, Joyner, Devon White, who left because of tightness in his left rib cage, and reliever Bryan Harvey, who strained his right elbow while throwing in the bullpen during the game. White’s injury is minor, but Harvey will be examined today.

Six Angels are on the disabled list, and Donnie Hill and Jack Howell are recovering from ailments, leaving Manager Doug Rader perilously shorthanded. That his club didn’t come up short against Kansas City Wednesday and won for the 16th time in 23 games was all the more remarkable under those circumstances.

“I tried to downplay it but for sure, you can’t get anywhere until you get to .500,” Rader said. “It’s been so long since we smelled it. It is very nice to be there once again.”

They got there because Blyleven pitched six-hit ball for 8 2/3 innings, yielding to Mark Eichhorn after allowing a double by Bo Jackson and singles by Willie Wilson and Mike Macfarlane. They got there because of Dave Winfield’s three-run home run in the fourth, which came after Kansas City shortstop Kurt Stillwell’s error on a grounder by Chili Davis that would have ended the inning.

Parrish followed Winfield with a home run to left off Tom Gordon (2-4), giving Blyleven--and the Angels’ anxious infielders--more than enough breathing room.

“The guys scored runs for me. My job was to go as long as I could,” said Blyleven, who earned the 276th victory of his career and 32nd against Kansas City, the most he has earned against any opponent. “I was disappointed I couldn’t go nine, but Mark Eichhorn came in and did a great job and the defense did a great job.”

Now that they’ve reached .500, the Angels want to prove they can be better than that.

“If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing, we’ll get there,” said Luis Polonia, whose fifth-inning double scored DiSarcina, who tripled. “It doesn’t matter what the Oakland A’s do. Sooner or later, we’re going to play them. We’ve got everything together now, pitching, offense and defense.”

Parrish agreed. “Getting to .500 is significant,” he said. “It was an obstacle we haven’t been able to get over. Emotionally that might have affected the club, but now we should be able to get over .500 and use this as an inspiration in our efforts to gain some ground on the A’s.”

Angel Notes

To make room for Dick Schofield the Angels waived pitcher Mark Clear. . . . Infielders Donnie Hill (strained shoulder) and Jack Howell (sprained knee) are expected to be ready to play this weekend. . . . The Angels are 26-0 in games they’ve led after seven innings. . . . Mark Eichhorn’s save gave him a career-high 11. . . . Bert Blyleven had 24 consecutive scoreless innings against the Royals until Willie Wilson’s RBI single in the seventh.