Abbott Runs Out of Gas and Luck; Yankees Win on Barfield’s Homer : Baseball: Harvey can’t save the game for him in the eighth inning and Angels lose, 2-1.

His strength was sapped, invested in making 131 pitches on a warm, muggy night at Yankee Stadium. Jim Abbott had little in reserve when he faced Yankee rookie Kevin Maas with one out in the eighth inning Wednesday, but he hoped a little would be enough to get him one more out before he would have to yield to Bryan Harvey.

“I tried to throw the same way I had before, but my arm wasn’t doing what my head was telling it to,” said Abbott, who got Maas on called third strikes twice before, swinging once.

His arm betrayed him and he walked Maas on four pitches. “I tried to throw the ball over the plate and I just couldn’t do it,” Abbott said.

Harvey came in and struck out Steve Balboni, but gave up a two-run home run to Jesse Barfield that lifted the Yankees to a 2-1 victory and left Abbott without a decision in what Angel Manager Doug Rader called “as good a game as he’s pitched since we’ve had him, in two years.”

Abbott matched his career high by striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings and walked only two, but the second walk became the Angels’ undoing when Barfield slammed a 2-and-0 fastball from Harvey (3-3) an estimated 403 feet over the fence in left-center. Barfield has accounted for two of the three home runs given up by Harvey in 55 2/3 innings and the only three runs Harvey has allowed in 13 appearances totaling 19 2/3 innings.

“It was right where he likes it, down and in,” said Harvey, who was victimized by Barfield Aug. 13 in a 4-2 Angel victory at Anaheim Stadium. The only other homer he has allowed this season was hit by Boston’s Jody Reed in a 5-4 Red Sox victory on April 26 at Fenway Park.

“That’s the nature of this job,” Harvey said. “You win some, you lose some. You’ve got to make sure you do more winning than losing.”

Barfield’s homer ended a five-game losing streak for the Yankees and ended the Angels’ streak of 30 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over four games.

“He was probably trying to come in a little bit more,” Barfield said of Harvey’s pitch. “The last time I hit one off him, I was expecting his forkball and I stayed back and reacted. It helps to get the pitch to hit, but once you get it, you have to hit it.”

The Angels got only five hits off Yankee starter Dave LaPoint (7-10) in 8 1/3 innings, including a leadoff triple to center by Brian Downing and a grounder to third that Johnny Ray beat out to produce their run.

LaPoint, who won for the first time since July 30, was impressed by Abbott. “He had us handcuffed,” LaPoint said. “I don’t think he missed a spot all night. That at-bat to Maas got him out of the game. He had that one bad hitter and it cost him the game.”

In the ninth, Dante Bichette singled to left and was replaced by pinch-runner Luis Polonia, who advanced on shortstop Alvaro Espinoza’s misplay of a potential double-play grounder by Devon White.

Dave Righetti replaced LaPoint and yielded a fly to center that moved Polonia to third. He ended the game by getting pinch-hitter Pete Coachman to ground to second, recording his 30th save of the season and 218th of his career, eighth on the all-time list.

Abbott, who won his previous start and has yet to win consecutive games this season, acknowledged his disappointment over the ending.

“I felt pretty good, confident in my delivery, and I was locating the ball well in and out,” he said. “It’s a tough way to lose. . . . It’s tough for the whole team. Harv’s been doing a fantastic job for us the last 20 times out there. It’s part of the game. You accept it and go on.”

Angel Notes

Chili Davis was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup because of a stiff lower back. Trainer Ned Bergert said it’s related to the back woes that have plagued Davis this season and put him on the disabled list. Dante Bichette replaced Davis in left field.

An examination of Donnie Hill’s left wrist by team physician Lewis Yocum reaffirmed that it’s sprained. Hill received a cortisone injection to speed the healing process. . . . Pitcher Cliff Young went to Texas to be with his wife, Tamara, who is expecting the couple’s second child any day. . . . Shortstop Dick Schofield left for Springfield, Ill., to attend his grandmother’s funeral. He will meet the Angels Friday in Baltimore. Kent Anderson played shortstop Wednesday for the first time since June 13 . . . The umpiring crew worked without Dale Ford, who was absent for personal reasons.