McCaskill: Nightmare in New York

The carpet on the floor of the visitors’ clubhouse had no answers written on it, or none Kirk McCaskill could discern Tuesday as he sat at his locker with his eyes downcast.

His fourth successive loss and fifth in six outings had the Angel right-hander searching for an explanation. None was apparent after New York scored four runs against him in 4 1/3 innings and went on to defeat the Angels, 7-1, at Yankee Stadium.

“I’ve tried it both ways,” said McCaskill, who gave up the second home run he has yielded to Mel Hall in two starts against New York this season. “I’ve tried trying to relax and not think about it, to take it easy when I throw on the side, and I’ve tried throwing 45 minutes on the side.

“What’s left to try? That’s a good question. If you find out, let me know.”

McCaskill’s struggles were a contrast to the flash and dash of Pascual Perez’s return to the Yankee starting rotation after an absence of nearly 13 months.

Perez, who hurt his pitching shoulder last season and made only four appearances after signing a $5.7-million, three-year contract, held the Angels hitless until Junior Felix’s windblown fly ball glanced off Hall’s glove for a double with two out in the fifth inning.

Perez gave up only one other hit, a sixth-inning double by Wally Joyner that extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Joyner, who was one for three, maintained his lead in the American League batting race at .363. Luis Polonia (0 for 3) dropped to .347.

Pumping his fist at the end of each inning and bounding to the dugout with unabashed enthusiasm, Perez electrified the crowd of 19,211 and inspired his teammates with his six-inning performance.

“Just having him out there gives us a charge,” said Hall, who doubled off McCaskill (2-5) and scored in the second inning to give Perez a 1-0 lead. “He does his business his own way, his own special way. You have to appreciate it.”

Perez appreciated the crowd’s support. “I loved it,” said the Dominican-born right-hander, whose injuries were a partially torn muscle, a bone spur and a partial tear in his rotator cuff. “I feel real good. I’m real happy to be back in New York. . . .

“I expect this (success) because I worked hard down in Tampa (to rehabilitate his shoulder). You give me two, three runs a game, you know I’m going to stick around and win.”

The Yankees gave him a second run in the fourth inning on Hall’s homer to right and two more in the fifth.

Hall, who has three home runs, couldn’t explain his spree against McCaskill. “He’s owned me before this,” Hall said. “He’s got good stuff. Things like this happen.”

Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann didn’t offer any reasons for what has happened to McCaskill. “It’s something we’ll have to work out,” Lachemann said. “It’s obviously not a good stretch. He’s just got to grind it out.”

In an effort to get rookie right-hander Scott Lewis some work--and to spare the bullpen some strain--Angel Manager Doug Rader brought Lewis in to pitch the seventh inning, even though Lewis had pitched 5 2/3 innings in a start against Cleveland on Sunday.

Lewis walked one and didn’t give up any hits. Rader said he will take his next scheduled turn Saturday in Baltimore.

“He’s been struggling, I thought, and it was his day to throw on the side anyway,” Rader said. “Without getting into specifics, we had a couple of guys who were tight, not exactly right, in the bullpen, and I wanted to give those guys a day off. It was Scott Lewis’ day to work on the side anyway.”

Lewis was more than willing to help. “I’d rather go out there and work on stuff than pitch to nobody,” he said.

Scott Bailes, brought in to pitch the eighth inning, gave up a double to Hall and homers to Matt Nokes and Jesse Barfield before hitting Randy Velarde in the leg with a pitch. McCaskill had hit Velarde in the left shoulder in the fourth inning. Bailes was ejected by home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom for hitting Velarde.

Bailes denied trying to hit Velarde. “I was trying to get the ball down. It was up to the first three guys I faced or however many I faced,” Bailes said.

The Angels scored their only run in the ninth off John Habyan on a double by former Yankee Dave Winfield, a single by Dave Parker and a ground out. But Perez’s heroics carried the night.

“He’s worth the price of admission,” Yankee Manager Stump Merrill said. “He did a hell of a job.”