McCaskill Doesn’t Handle Prosperity : Angels: Home runs by Kelly and Hall overcome early advantage, and Yankees win, 10-5.

The Yankees bear little resemblance to their storied predecessors, but their home run-hitting display on Wednesday helped them regain a measure of self-respect for at least one night.

Roberto Kelly hit his second home run in two games, a two-run shot to left-center, and Mel Hall surpassed him later in the third inning with a three-run homer that chased Angel starter Kirk McCaskill and launched the Yankees to a 10-5 victory over the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.

Kelly, who had hit a three-run homer on Tuesday, gave the Yankees their first two runs off McCaskill (2-4). After a walk to Don Mattingly and a double by Kevin Maas, Hall hit his second homer of the season, giving the Yankees the lead for good and lifted Scott Sanderson (3-1) toward a victory.

Many in the crowd of 26,024 had left by the time the Yankees added three runs in the eighth inning, two on a bases-loaded double by Jesse Barfield. The Yankees had lost their previous four games and eight of nine.

McCaskill lasted only 2 2/3 innings in losing his third consecutive decision, his first three-game losing streak since June 9-20, 1989. He has given up seven home runs in 34 1/3 innings, a high ratio by any standards and alarming in his case because he yielded only nine home runs in 1990 in 174 1/3 innings.

The Angels’ loss was their 10th in their last 15 games and gave them a 4-4 record for this homestand. They begin a three-city, 10-game road trip Friday in Cleveland.

They had scored 10 runs for McCaskill in his previous five starts, so he must have been stunned to see three runs’ support in the first two innings.

Unlike Tuesday, when the Angels relied on home runs for most of their offense, they used a station-to-station offense. They scored in the first inning when Luis Polonia beat out a grounder to short, went to third on Wally Joyner’s single to center and scored on Gary Gaetti’s two-out single to left.

Winfield earned his team-leading 18th run batted in in the second, when the Angels took a 3-0 lead.

Junior Felix led off with a single to center, his fifth hit in 38 at-bats. He moved to second on a sacrifice by Luis Sojo and, one out later, took third on Polonia’s bunt single.

Felix scored and Polonia took second when Sanderson’s 2-and-2 pitch to Joyner broke about a foot in front of the plate and eluded catcher Matt Nokes for a wild pitch. Polonia stole third as Joyner walked and scored when Winfield singled to right.

A walk to Dave Parker loaded the bases, but Gaetti flied to right to end the inning.

McCaskill didn’t have the lead for long. In the third inning, a two-run home run by Kelly and a three-run blast to center by Hall measured at 395 feet put the Yankees on top, 5-3, and McCaskill into a foul mood.

After giving up the home run to Hall, McCaskill didn’t even wait for pitching coach Marcel Lachemann to take the ball. McCaskill stalked off the mound without a word, striding into the runway that leads to the clubhouse without stopping to towel off or hear any consolation.

The Yankee attack began when Randy Velarde doubled to center and took third on a passed ball charged to catcher Lance Parrish. Kelly ripped a 2-and-0 pitch from McCaskill over the 396-foot sign in left-center for his fourth home run of the season and second in two days. He also hit a three-run homer off Chuck Finley on Tuesday.

Steve Sax flied to right for the second out of the inning, but Mattingly kept it alive with a walk. He went to third when Maas lined a double into the right-field corner, and they both scored when Hall slammed a McCaskill pitch for his second homer of the season.

McCaskill was relieved by Scott Bailes, leaving to a mixed sendoff of jeers and light applause. McCaskill has gotten through only one of his six starts this season without giving up a home run.

The Angels stranded runners on second and third in the third inning when Polonia struck out. It proved costly when New York scored twice in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead.

Both runs came after two were out. Mattingly drew a full-count walk and scored on Maas’ double down the right-field line. The Angels almost threw Mattingly out at home: Winfield fielded the ball and threw to second baseman Sojo, whose throw appeared in time to get the slow Mattingly. However, home plate umpire Rick Reed ruled Mattingly safe. Replays showed his hand might have gone over the plate instead of touching it.

Maas took third on the play and scored when Sojo threw away Hall’s grounder to the right side.

The Angels stirred in the fifth, scoring an unearned run to narrow the Yankees’ lead to 7-4.

Third baseman Jim Leyritz was charged with an error when he bobbled Gaetti’s grounder, and Gaetti scored on Parrish’s double to right. That also extended Parrish’s hitting streak to eight games.