DiSarcina Carries On for No. 33

It was a shirt like any other, made of the same material as the one he had worn in three hitless at-bats Tuesday.

But if Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina believed the new uniform jersey hanging in his locker Wednesday was of magic cloth because it bore the No. 33 worn by his hero, Celtic star Larry Bird, who’s to argue?

Teammates who laughed Tuesday when DiSarcina moped over Bird’s retirement were cheering him Wednesday after his two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning off Jeff Reardon lifted the Angels to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox before a rain-dampened 32,980 at Fenway Park.

DiSarcina believed he was the target of another joke when he saw “33 DiSarcina” on a strip of adhesive tape affixed to his locker. But when he saw “33” on the back of the new uniform issued by equipment manager Leonard Garcia instead of his accustomed “11,” he seized the chance to pay tribute to Bird.

“Everything fell into place as soon as I walked in the door of the clubhouse and saw the number,” said DiSarcina, who hit a 3-and-2 curveball from Reardon (2-2) to score Von Hayes and Lee Stevens and dump the Red Sox into a tie for last place in the AL East, the latest they have been last since 1966.

“At first I thought, ‘We don’t have a 33. John Morris is gone.’ Then I had an inkling something was up, and I had a big smile on my face. . . .

“If I never get another chance to play a baseball game in my life, I’ll remember this game the rest of my life,” said DiSarcina, who grew up in the nearby suburb of Billerica and left 30 passes for friends and relatives. “What can I compare this to? Nothing. This is pretty much the biggest thrill of my life.”

Hearing his new number announced, he said, “was a big difference. It was a thrill.” Hearing the ball hit the bat was a happy sound for Angel starter Jim Abbott, too, because he was in line for another well-pitched loss until DiSarcina’s hit.

Joe Grahe preserved the Angels’ second victory in six games on this trip with a game-ending double play, earning his 15th save in 16 opportunities and giving Abbott (5-12) his first victory since June 26.

“I was always a Larry Bird fan,” Abbott said, “and I’ve always been a Gary DiSarcina fan, too. But now, I’m an even bigger one. Maybe it’s the Boston magic, something that happens wearing that uniform.”

Abbott flailed through a 42-pitch first inning, giving up a run after he hit Bob Zupcic, walked Tom Brunansky and yielded a double to Jack Clark.

The Angels tied it in the third on two singles and two fielder’s choice grounders, but Boston regained a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Jody Reed’s RBI single.

With left-hander John Dopson cruising, Abbott seemed destined for another well-pitched loss. “That guy’s one of the better pitchers in the league,” Red Sox pitching coach Rich Gale said. “I don’t care what his record is. They just don’t seem to score any runs for him. That was an explosion for him, three runs.”

The Red Sox defused one explosion in the eighth inning when second baseman Reed made a fine play going to his left on a grounder by Luis Polonia to throw pinch-hitter Rob Ducey out at the plate. But Reardon was no match for No. 33.

Ken Oberkfell singled to center with one out, and Von Hayes ran for him. Chad Curtis struck out, but Lee Stevens hit a ground-rule double into the right-field corner. DiSarcina sent Hayes and Stevens home with his second hit of the night.

“I figured I’d try my curveball, but I didn’t fool them,” said Reardon, who has blown eight saves--seven since the All Star break--to rank second in the AL behind Texas’ Jeff Russell.

The two RBIs gave DiSarcina 32, one more than his predecessor, Dick Schofield, produced in 1991.

“He didn’t get a hit (Tuesday) because he was too depressed, and he knew he couldn’t get any press because there was so much stuff in the papers on Larry Bird,” Stevens kidded. “That’s why he waited until today.”

Interim Manager John Wathan was too happy over the outcome to question the cause.

“It must be the 33. Larry Bird time, in remembrance,” Wathan said. “I don’t think Larry wanted this type of outcome for his Red Sox, but we’ll take it. Two out, 3-and-2. He just got enough of it and not too much of it.”

DiSarcina will never get enough looks at his uniform. “They’re going to have to rip it off my back now,” he said.