World Series : Toronto Blue Jays vs. Atlanta Braves : Morris’ Mystique Is Laid to Rest on One Swing of Bat : Blue Jays: Toronto pitcher had a 4-0 World Series record and had shut out Braves for 18 consecutive innings.

For five innings Saturday, Jack Morris was again the magician who cast a spell over the Atlanta Braves in a magnificent 10-inning performance for the Minnesota Twins last October in Game 7 of the World Series.

Through five walks and Atlanta scoring threats in the fourth and fifth innings of this year’s Series opener, Morris kept his mastery intact. His shutout streak ended on a 1-and-2 forkball that catcher Damon Berryhill launched into the right-field seats for a three-run home run and a 3-1 Atlanta victory.

With that pitch went a chunk of the Toronto right-hander’s mystique.

“I don’t know what’s fair or what’s not fair. I did a pretty good job for a while, and quick as it can happen, I lost,” Morris said of the lofty expectations created by the 4-0 World Series record he took into Saturday’s game. “I’m not ready to throw in the towel. Tom Glavine did everything humanly possible to win tonight.”

Morris, the first pitcher to start successive World Series openers for two different teams since Don Gullett started for the Cincinnati Reds in 1976 and the New York Yankees a year later, hasn’t dominated as he did a year ago, when he was 2-0 in the playoffs and 2-0 in the World Series with a 1.17 earned-run average. He lost the Blue Jays’ playoff opener to the Oakland Athletics, 4-3, and was taken out of Game 4 after giving up five runs and five hits over 3 1/3 innings in an eventual 7-6 Toronto victory.

Even before he gave up five walks Saturday--the most by a pitcher in a World Series game since the New York Mets’ Ron Darling walked six in the fourth game in 1986 against Boston--Blue Jay Manager Cito Gaston had added a fourth starter to his rotation and put Juan Guzman in position to start a seventh Series game.

Morris’ 18-inning scoreless streak against the Braves was the longest for a pitcher in the World Series since Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched 19 against the Red Sox in 1967.

The Braves had several opportunities to get to him before the sixth. After leadoff hitter Otis Nixon singled, stole second and took third on a grounder in the first inning, Morris struck out David Justice.

Morris didn’t allow another baserunner until he walked Justice in the fourth. But he also walked Sid Bream and threw a wild pitch before striking out Ron Gant on a full count.

Walks to pitcher Tom Glavine and Nixon in the fifth put Morris him in another bind, and this time he escaped by striking out Jeff Blauser.

“Obviously, you don’t want baserunners on in a one-run game. You’ve got to be almost perfect to win a game like that,” he said. “It’s typical of what happens at this point of the year. That shows you why pitching is worth more than hitting at this time of the year.”

Berryhill’s hitting eclipsed Morris’ pitching in the sixth. Morris created more trouble for himself by giving up a one-out walk to Justice and a single to Sid Bream, but Gant forced Bream for the second out. Morris got ahead of Berryhill, a switch-hitter, with a 1-and-2 count and tried to get him to bite at a forkball, but the pitch stayed up.

“When you have one run to work with, you’ve got to be careful. I was trying to do some things there,” said Morris, whose postseason record fell to 7-2.

“Obviously I want one pitch back, and the guy didn’t miss it. Credit them and the guy that pitched for them tonight. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t get it in the right spot. . . . Where did I want to throw it? I don’t have to tell you. I might face these guys again. It was your basic, hanging 390-foot forkball.”

And it’s over.

“I’m not concerned about what people think. I can sleep with myself,” he said. “I don’t have to sleep with the world. I did a pretty admirable job other than one pitch. I won’t sleep much tonight. I am a human being. . . .

“Glavine did to me what he did to every one of my teammates. I was swinging at some lousy ones, and he had us off balance. The second or third time around is tougher. I don’t know if either one of us will get a third chance.”