Long Night for Angels Is Short for McCaskill : Baseball: Third-inning homers by Kelly, Hall overcome pitcher’s advantage and Yankees win, 10-5.

Word of an imminent personnel move set the press box buzzing.

Would the Angels recall a relief pitcher, after they went through five in a 10-5 loss to the New York Yankees Wednesday?

Or had Kirk McCaskill experienced problems with his surgically repaired right elbow, causing him to give up two more home runs for a total of seven in 34 1/3 innings this season?

As it turned out, the moves were minor.

McCaskill was fine, beyond some bruises to his pride. His three-game losing streak is his longest since June 9-20, 1989.

“It was just a b-a-a-a-a-d night,” said McCaskill (2-4), who lasted 2 2/3 innings. He gave up a two-run homer to Roberto Kelly and a three-run blast to Mel Hall in the third inning as the Yankees rallied to end a four-game losing streak and send an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 26,024 streaming toward the exits early.

McCaskill gave up nine home runs in 174 1/3 innings last season.

It wasn’t exactly a good night for catcher John Orton, who was optioned to triple-A Edmonton; or infielder Jack Howell, who was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Sunday because of a sprained right wrist.

To replace them, the Angels recalled infielder Bobby Rose, who was hitting .278 for Edmonton, and purchased the contract of catcher Ron Tingley from the Trappers. Both are expected to meet the club in Cleveland for the start of a 10-game, three-city trip.

“John Orton is a fine prospect, and it’s the organization’s wishes that he go out and play,” Angel Manager Doug Rader said. “It’s probably the best thing for John Orton.”

Howell, who is hitting .261, said he hurt his wrist Saturday and was plagued by enough soreness and swelling to prevent him from taking his usual swings at the plate.

“I’ll just try to pick up where I left off when we get back (from the upcoming trip),” Howell said.

Dan O’Brien, who assumed Mike Port’s duties as general manager after Port’s firing last week, said no other personnel moves had been contemplated.

O’Brien said Orton was sent to Edmonton so he could play every day. Orton appeared in only six games this season and hit .125.

“At that rate, he would get less than 100 at-bats for the season, and we really don’t think that’s being fair to him and his future,” O’Brien said.

The Angels’ recent past includes 10 losses in their last 15 games and a 4-4 home stand. They begin this trip with a 13-14 record and in a fifth-place tie with Minnesota, 4 1/2 games behind Oakland.

They took a 3-0 lead on Yankee starter Scott Sanderson (3-1) after two innings, but in the third Kelly hit his second home run in two games and fourth of the season and Hall hit a three-run homer that chased McCaskill.

“It’s just a matter of location,” catcher Lance Parrish said of McCaskill. “He’s really no different than anyone else. When he makes his pitches, he can breeze through an inning. When he starts getting behind and gets the ball up in the strike zone and can’t get his breaking ball over, he’ll struggle.

“He breezed through the first two (innings) and then started missing a little bit. He laid a pitch out for Kelly to hit, and he did the same thing to Mel Hall. That was pretty much his downfall.”

The Angels set themselves up for a fall by leaving seven runners on base in the first three innings. “We did some good things,” Rader said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”

Orton took his demotion well enough.

“This is the place I want to be, up in the big leagues, but I know this is going to help me out,” he said. “I have no bad feelings. I’ll get back on it down there.”

Former Yankee Luis Polonia helped get back at his old team with infield hits in the first and second. He scored in the first on Gary Gaetti’s two-out single and in the second on former Yankee Dave Winfield’s two-out single.

The Yankees began the surge that gave them their third victory in their 11-game trip on a double by Randy Velarde and Kelly’s homer to left-center. After a walk to Don Mattingly and a double by Kevin Maas--the second of Maas’ four hits--Hall homered on the first pitch to him by McCaskill.

“It didn’t start good, but I like the outcome,” Yankee Manager Stump Merrill said.

“It’s good to go out with a win under our belt.”

The Yankees added two runs in the fifth inning and three in the eighth. Winfield tripled in the ninth inning and scored on a ground out by Parker for the Angels’ final run.