Angels Blow 6-0 Lead in Losing to A’s, 8-6

When he departed in the seventh inning Friday night, with the Oakland Athletics having cut a six-run deficit to two and still threatening, Jim Abbott was optimistic. “I was kind of hoping for the best,” he said.

Instead, he saw the worst.

Again.

For the second time in two series against the A’s, the Angels squandered a six-run lead and watched a game fall in ruins around them.

Shortstop Dick Schofield’s second error of the game and a bad-hop shot hit past third baseman Donnie Hill contributed to a five-run Oakland rally that launched the A’s to an 8-6 victory at Anaheim Stadium and dumped the Angels a season-worst 16 games out of first place.

It was a near replay of the Angels’ visit to the Oakland Coliseum on July 23, when they built a 6-0 lead only to lose, 7-6, in 10 innings. This time, the A’s dispensed with the extra-inning suspense, scoring five times in the seventh inning on five singles and a comedy of Angel error and twice in the sixth inning on Dave Henderson’s home run.

Mark McGwire’s 28th home run of the season clinched the victory for the A’s, who matched their season best of 27 games above .500 and maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the Chicago White Sox.

“I thought Abbie pitched well and Willie (Fraser) pitched well, but if you don’t make the plays you’re not going to beat that ballclub,” Angel Manager Doug Rader said. “You can’t afford to give them more than three outs in an inning, and we certainly did (in the seventh).”

Reggie Harris (1-0) gained his first major league victory, despite allowing back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to Dave Winfield and Lee Stevens. The A’s, minus major league home run leader Jose Canseco after he left the game because of a stomach virus and a migraine headache, rescued Harris in the late innings and earned his gratitude.

“I take this as a team win,” said Harris, who was drafted from the Boston Red Sox. “This is a powerful team. One guy picks us another all the time. I couldn’t shut them down, so other guys came in behind me and picked me up.”

Henderson offered the first lift in the sixth, slamming a home run into the right-field bullpen to cut the Angel lead to 6-2. That was their first warning, if the Angels needed one, that the game was not secure.

“We weren’t worried. We had three or four innings to play and we’re the world champs,” Henderson said. “We’re confident. We’re proved time and time again we can stay in games with our pitching and our offense. It’s obvious when we start a rally late in the game, even six runs down, their bullpen knows we’re coming.”

The A’s came at them in the seventh. McGwire had led off with a walk, followed by a single by Lance Blankenship. Willie Randolph reached on a fielder’s choice that loaded the bases when Hill’s throw to second base in an attempt to force Blankenship was late. Mike Gallego singled home two runs to knock out Abbott.

Fraser struck out Rickey Henderson, but Carney Lansford hit a bouncer that took a bad hop over Hill’s head and into left field, scoring Randolph.

Schofield cut off left fielder Dante Bichette’s throw toward home and fired toward second, the ball sailing into right field, with Gallego scoring.

Felix Jose reached on a bunt single that stopped a foot inside the third-base line, and Dave Henderson singled home Lansford with the final run of an inning that ended when Terry Steinbach grounded into a double play.

Hill understood the importance of Lansford’s hit and the misplay thereafter. “It came up on me. It bounced up, that’s all,” Hill said. “We just didn’t play a good game starting from that point.”

Angel Notes

Bert Blyleven will miss his start tonight so he can be with his family while his wife, two sons and daughter recuperate from injuries they sustained in a car accident Thursday. No replacement had been named, though a likely candidate is left-hander Cliff Young. Chuck Finley, Sunday’s starter, will not be moved up in the rotation.

The most serious apparent injury was suffered by the Blylevens’ 6-year-old son, Thomas, who has two broken arms. Blyleven’s wife, Patty, who was driving the vehicle when it went off the road in Lone Pine, was undergoing tests for possible head injuries. Patty was being treated at St. Joseph Hospital, while the youngsters were at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Blyleven was excused from reporting to Anaheim Stadium Friday. Angels still aren’t sure who will start tonight. Dave Winfield is 11 for 20 since George Steinbrenner matter, which he called a distraction, was settled.

Oakland’s Jose Canseco, passing Luis Polonia on his way to do a television interview, called to Polonia, “How come you didn’t catch my home run?” a reference to the home run he hit well into the left-field seats Thursday for his second home run of the game. Polonia grinned. “I’m going to buy a ticket in the bleachers where I can catch it,” he said.

Canseco leads the AL with 34 home runs and probably leads the league in brashness. “I’ll probably hit my peak around 27, 28, 29, 30,” said Canseco, who turned 26 last month. “You might see something like the home run record. A 50-50 year, maybe. . . . I’m just getting to know the game, just getting to know the pitchers. It doesn’t matter what I do--I’m making $23.5 million. I can lay back, hit 30 a year and relax (but) I’m not that type of player. There’s a word for it: pride.”

Pitcher Greg Minton, on the 30-day disabled list because of an arm muscle problem, has been playing catch for 10-15 minutes per day and will be evaluated Tuesday. Mark McLemore (sprained wrist) has been swinging the bat and taking ground balls without difficulty.

Oakland Manger Tony La Russa said he didn’t move Dave Stewart’s start up a day to Sunday in order to have Stewart pitch against Finley. Since the A’s have an off day Monday, Stewart could have pitched on three days’ rest or five and La Russa said he and Stewart prefer the shorter rest.