Abbott Still Struggling as Royals Avoid a Sweep

With June nearly half gone, it’s well past the point where Jim Abbott can blame his woes on the spring-training lockout.

Rarely has the Angel left-hander been hit hard this season, and the Kansas City Royals did not bombard him Wednesday night. Still, the result was another loss for Abbott. The Royals built a four-run sixth inning around three infield hits, scoring six runs overall against Abbott in an 11-4 victory over the Angels.

Abbott (3-5) allowed nine hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. He’s winless in his last 11 starts at Anaheim Stadium and this season is 0-3 in seven starts with a 4.81 earned-run average. His last win at home was Aug. 30, 1989.

By salvaging the last game of this three-game series, the Royals ended an eight-game losing streak and avoided being swept by the Angels in two consecutive series. They had scored eight runs in their previous seven games.

In losing, the Angels fell 9 1/2 games behind the Oakland A’s, but Wednesday’s crowd of 28,179 sent the club over the one-million mark in attendance for the 16th consecutive season.

Kansas City starter Mark Gubicza left after pitching one inning because of a strained left rib cage. He aggravated it while making a pickoff throw to second in the first inning. Luis Aquino (2-0) pitched five solid innings of relief to get the victory.

Taking advantage of Abbott’s control problems in the fourth, the Royals scored twice, matching their run production for the first two games of the series. Abbott walked two men in the inning, increasing his total to 36 in 73 2/3 innings.

Abbott worked with men on base in every inning, but the Angels’ defense supported him strongly with force plays in the first and second and a neat double play begun and finished by first baseman Lance Parrish in the third. However, even solid defensive play couldn’t rescue Abbott in the fourth. Bill Pecota--who was four for four against Chuck Finley Tuesday--opened the inning with a single to right. Danny Tartabull beat out an infield hit and Abbott walked Bo Jackson on four pitches, loading the bases.

Abbott’s first pitch to George Brett was also a ball, which brought pitching coach Marcel Lachemann out to the mound. Brett worked the count to three and two he walked, forcing in a run. Willie Wilson lofted a fly to right-center that was caught on the run by Devon White, but Tartabull tagged up and scored.

Abbott escaped additional damage by getting Gerald Perry to pop up behind home plate and Mike Macfarlane to ground to second.

The Angels loaded the bases against Gubicza in the first but couldn’t capitalize. Brian Downing and Max Venable singled to center and after two out, Parrish walked. But Jack Howell, who was one for nine since returning from the disabled list, grounded to second to end the threat.

Aquino was more difficult for the Angels to solve. He went once through the lineup easily, allowing only an infield hit to Kent Anderson.

Abbott didn’t make it through the sixth, again hitting the invisible barrier that has impeded him throughout the season. Only once in his six starts has he completed seven innings, and that was a 9 1/3-inning outing in a loss to Cleveland on May 28. The Royals didn’t shell him, but the end result was the same as if they had.

Tartabull began the four-run sixth by reaching on a grounder to deep short, although replays showed he might have been out. Jackson then beat out a grounder to third. Brett’s sharp single to right loaded the bases. Wilson forced Brett, but beat the throw to first as Tartabull scored. After Wilson stole second, Macfarlane laced a two-run single to right, which ended Abbott’s night.

Changing pitchers didn’t change the Angels’ luck. Mike Fetters gave up a double to Kurt Stillwell and a walk to Kevin Seitzer before Pecota hit a hopper behind third that was too deep for Howell to make a play and Macfarlane scored. Tartabull, who had started the inning, ended it by striking out.

The Angels got two runs back in the sixth on Davis’ home run, his seventh of the season. Aquino had retired 10 consecutive batters before walking Venable, the leadoff hitter in the sixth. Davis then slammed a 2-2 pitch over the center-field fence, his second home run against the Royals this season. He had previously hit one June 5 off Rich Dotson.

The Royals stretched their lead to 7-2 in the seventh after two were out. Wilson singled and stole second, his 600th career steal. Perry singled to center, scoring Wilson, but was caught in a rundown between first and second.

Angel Notes

Manager Doug Rader, who missed Wednesday’s game in order to attend his son’s high school graduation, left behind three possible lineups for the coaches to use depending on players’ medical conditions. Wally Joyner experienced a flareup of the tendinitis in his right knee, forcing coaches Moose Stubing, Marcel Lachemann (who was celebrating his 49th birthday) and Bobby Knoop to go to Plan B and use Lance Parrish at first.

Stubing was in charge of the offense, Lachemann of the pitchers and Knoop of Knoop. “I’m in charge of myself,” said the first-base coach, who was supposed to oversee defensive positioning and replacements. “That’s enough responsibility.”

Parrish is still using a first baseman’s glove he borrowed from Rick Schu. He ordered one of his own but hasn’t received it yet. . . . Joyner has a .421 career average against Royal starter Mark Gubicza (eight for 19). . . . Dick Schofield was rested Wednesday, as was Dave Winfield.