McCaskill Wins Key Twofer, 8-2 : Angels Move Back Within 3 1/2 Games of First-Place Twins

MINNEAPOLIS â€”  Kirk McCaskill finally won another game for the Angels Wednesday night. He beat the Minnesota Twins, 8-2, at the Metrodome, just before celebrating the four-month anniversary of his last victory.

This one carried a bit more significance than that 4-0 shutout of Seattle April 15.

On this one, the Angels’ 1987 season may have hinged.

“I don’t think I’m a negative person, but I had some thoughts about what might have happened if I didn’t win tonight,� McCaskill said. “We had a chance to be knocked out of the thing.�

Or as reliever DeWayne Buice put it, “This prevents a sweep. If we got swept here, you could’ve written our ticket home.�

Had the Angels lost Wednesday night, they would have fallen 5 1/2 games behind the Twins. It would have been their fifth loss in six games and their second straight to Minnesota, forcing the Angels to play today’s finale at the Metrodome with their backs in a corner.

Instead, with the combined four-hitter turned in by McCaskill and Buice, the Angels stand within 3 1/2 games of first place. And with Mike Witt scheduled to pitch today against Steve Carlton, things are looking considerably brighter for the Angels.

“We picked up two big games tonight,� Angel Manager Gene Mauch said. “Every time you play the club next to you, it’s worth two games in the standings, not one.

“McCaskill’s timing was perfect.�

McCaskill (3-4) had lost four straight games since returning from the disabled list July 11. In six appearances, he was 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA. In his last outing, Saturday in Seattle, McCaskill surrendered the first nine runs in a 14-0 loss to the Mariners.

With the Angels beginning to fade in the standings, Mauch’s patience received a test.

“If we’re going to win this thing,� Mauch said in Seattle, “we need Kirk McCaskill to pitch like Kirk McCaskill.�

McCaskill, a 17-game winner last season, couldn’t argue with that.

“There’s no way I want to be a liability to the club down the stretch,� he said. “After Saturday, I talked to Lach (pitching coach Marcel Lachemann) and told him, ‘I thought I had good stuff out there and then I look at the scoreboard and there’s nine runs.’ If I’d gone by results, I’d have killed myself.

“I did a lot of thinking about this game. To be honest, I was pretty hyped up about it, for a lot of factors.

“One, I hadn’t made a contribution since April. And two, the Twins were on a roll. This was a big game.

“I still don’t think I’m all the way back, but this was a big step.�

McCaskill struck out seven and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, when he served up Kent Hrbek’s 28th home run of the season. He also yielded a solo home run to Roy Smalley in the seventh but limited the Twins to two singles the rest of the way.

McCaskill pitched into the eighth inning, with one out and one runner on base, when his forearm began to tighten up.

“Nothing serious,� Mauch said. “The muscle in his forearm was just a little tight. Maybe it was because he threw a lot of breaking balls. It was there, and we didn’t want it to get worse.�

McCaskill didn’t mind the discomfort. After working without a breaking ball through his first four starts since his return, McCaskill finally had a breaking ball worth throwing again.

“This curveball was sharper than what it had been before,� he said. “It started coming back in Seattle. When I can throw the changeup and the fastball for strikes, they (opposing hitters) are more apt not to look for the curveball.�

McCaskill was enjoying a 5-0 lead before he threw his first pitch of the fourth inning. Three runs were provided by Gus Polidor, who singled home two runs in the second inning and doubled home another in the fourth.

The Angels also scored runs on a single by Devon White in the third inning, a ground-out by Jack Howell in the fourth and a two-run home run by Ruppert Jones in the seventh.

Polidor’s two hits raised his batting average to .252 for the season. Since replacing Dick Schofield as the club’s starting shortstop, Polidor is hitting .302 with 12 RBIs in 25 games.

“He’s helped us a lot, defensively and offensively,� Buice said of Polidor. “At one point in the game tonight, his average was at .255. He’s gone from .048 to .255 in less than a month. He’d had only 21 at-bats before . . . we lost that guy . . . what was his name, Schofield?�

Yep, that’s the name. And today, Mauch says Dick Schofield will make his return to the starting lineup. “Nobody expects him to be razor-sharp, but we’ve got to get him back in action,� Mauch said.

Where does that leave Polidor?

Probably at second base. Mauch is considering a platoon at the position, and today, he’s giving Mark McLemore the day off, which would make room for both Schofield and Polidor.

“If he puts me at second base, fine,� Polidor said. “I don’t care. I just want to keep playing.�

As for his play as Schofield’s replacement, Polidor said, “I’ve never felt better in my life. My glove, my bat, my body is ready.�

Polidor giggled.

“I feel soooo good.�

Not all the Angels can make the same claim. But today, most are feeling a little bit better about themselves.

Angel Notes

Don Baylor to the Angels? When a reporter asked Angel Manager Gene Mauch about the possibility during batting practice, Mauch looked over his shoulder to where General Manager Mike Port was seated, turned back around and then grinned. “Wherever Don Baylor goes, he’s going to have to have enough at-bats to keep himself reasonably sharp,� Mauch said. Mauch brought up Oakland, another team reportedly interested in Baylor. “I would imagine they would DH him in Oakland against left-handed pitching,� he said. One could also imagine the Angels using Baylor the same way, right, Gene? “Mike’ll have to talk to me about that,� Mauch said, grinning again. Mauch, having enough trouble getting both of his designated hitter-types (Bill Buckner and Brian Downing) in the lineup at the same time, conceded that the Angels’ biggest need lies elsewhere. “My No. 1 priority at this moment is getting our pitching a little more consistent,� he said. . . . Port wouldn’t comment on Baylor, saying, “There are too many things swirling about right now. I wouldn’t want to mention any names. We have some (trade) possibilities at different stages right now.�

Port, who has not made a trade since last December, talked about the importance of not making a deal out of panic. “We have to remember that a week ago today, this club was a half-game out of first place,� he said. “We are capable of more (offensive) production than we have shown in the recent past. A quick fix is not a realistic thing to consider at this point.� Port added that “we’ve got some possibilities at Edmonton. Tony Armas has come on a little bit; he hit three home runs the last week, and his average is 50 points up since the start of the month. Tack Wilson is another outfielder who’s hitting around .325 and can run a little bit. One thing we don’t want to do is make any moves without a complete investigation of what we already have in our own house.�

Add Port: The Angels have depth, and therefore expendable talent, at shortstop and center field. In his discussions with other teams, Port said he has found other general managers bullish on Gus Polidor but bearish on Gary Pettis, who was a subject of several trade rumors during spring training. On Polidor: “We did a pretty good canvassing of other clubs when Dick (Schofield) was injured and we found that most of the guys available were no better than Gustavo. In fact, a lot of those people wanted Gustavo. A good middle infielder comes at a premium.� On Pettis: “In truth, his market value has dropped. It’s just the way people view Gary Pettis now. When you look at a player, you look at two things--ability and performance. With Gary, the ability remains in some respects; he is well-regarded defensively and what he can do on the bases is acknowledged. But when it comes to performance, you look at his .208 average and X number of strikeouts and it brings his value back down. Gary Pettis has struggled with the bat all of his career--that’s a fact--but never before to this point.�

Slumping Doug DeCinces was given the night off by Mauch. “I hope it does some good,� Mauch said. DeCinces has one hit in his last 18 at-bats, only four RBIs in his last 19 games and has not hit a home run on the road since June 29. With runners in scoring position, he is batting .198 (20-for-101). . . . Downing started again in left field despite a sore throwing arm. “His shoulder’s not real good,� Mauch admitted. “But we have to find a way to get him and Buckner and (Wally) Joyner in the lineup together. He (Downing) ain’t gonna complain about it.�