Abbott Strikes Out 9, and Angels Win, 4-3

Jim Abbott discovered the strikeout Saturday night, but it took 10 innings and a couple of fortunate bounces for the Angels to beat the Toronto Blue Jays for their fourth consecutive victory.

Toronto third baseman Tom Lawless’ weak one-bounce throw to first allowed Dante Bichette to reach base leading off the tenth. After Jack Howell sacrificed, Glenn Hoffman’s high bouncer left Lawless with nowhere to turn--except to third where Bichette was already standing. Claudell Washington was intentionally walked to load the bases and then Johnny Ray lined a drive to left where George Bell made a sprawling catch.

But Bell could only crawl to his feet in time to watch Bichette score the winning run, lifting the Angels to a 4-3 victory in front of a fielder’s glove-night crowd of 49,906 at Anaheim Stadium.

“Did Bell catch that ball?� Angel Manager Doug Rader asked, noting that it appeared Bell may have dropped it. “But I was more concerned about Bichette doing the cha-cha out there.�

Bichette didn’t exactly sprint home with his head down, but he crossed the plate in time to join the celebration.

Back in the clubhouse, Abbott was celebrating the return of his slider. Remember that wicked breaking ball the rookie sensation fired past Jose Canseco for a key strikeout this spring? The one that made the evening news from Abbott’s hometown of Flint, Mich., to Anaheim and a lot of places in between?

Abbott, for one, had almost forgotten what it looked like.

“This was by far the best stuff I’ve had this season,� Abbott said. “It’s the first time this year I’ve had the good slider.�

Abbott hasn’t been overpowering thus far--he’s given up at least one hit in 19 of the 24 innings he’s pitched--but, for the most part, he has been able to keep those hits from coming in clusters. He’s allowed more than one hit in an inning just six times.

And even though he was hit hard at times, Abbott clearly is starting to fool hitters more often. In his major league debut against Seattle, the Mariners swung and missed a pitch just twice. In fact, he had just five strikeouts in his first three outings, but Saturday he racked up nine--tying the season-high for the Angels--in eight innings, his longest stint so far.

“He looked a little tentative early, but he finally started making the pitches and putting people away,� Rader said. “There’s an art to putting guys away when you’re ahead in the count and Abbie’s starting to get a little more aggressive out there.�

The Angels, scoreless in the first six innings, finally rallied for a run in the sixth before tying the game with a pair of runs in the seventh. Jack Howell, Wally Joyner and Ray continued to break out of their slumps, but the biggest question of the evening surrounded Toronto Manager Jimy Williams’ decision to remove starter Jimmy Key after seven innings.

No answer was forthcoming from Williams, who chose not to shed any light on the matter . . . or any other matter, for that matter. Taking a cue from Bell, Williams didn’t speak to the media.

Key gave up a lead-off hit to Washington in the first and then set down 18 Angels in a row before Chili Davis singled in the fifth. The Angels finally pushed across a run in the seventh when Ray led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Joyner.

Key had thrown just 80 pitches, but Williams decided to go with reliever David Wells to open the eighth. Howell sliced a one-out double down the left-field line and scored on a two-out double to right by Washington.

Williams then brought in Duane Ward, but Ray lined a shot to center. At first, it appeared Rob Ducey had made a spectacular sliding catch, but umpire Larry Barnett signaled that Ducey had trapped the ball and the game was tied, 3-3.

Apparently, Williams wasn’t talking to Key, either.

“They gave me no reason,� Key said. “They just told me I was out of the game. But I’m just upset that we lost, not that I was taken out of the game.�

Greg Minton, who picked up his first victory of the season, came on to pitch the ninth and got a big assist from Bichette, who’s running catch Friday night kept Kirk McCaskill’s no-hitter intact.

Minton walked pinch-hitter Lloyd Moseby to lead off the inning. Manny Lee forced Moseby and then Nelson Liriano, who broke up McCaskill’s no-hit bid, hit a line drive to left. Bichette made the catch and fired a one-hop throw to Joyner that just beat Lee back to first for an inning-ending double play.

The Toronto offense, stifled by McCaskill Friday night, had no such problems with Abbott in the early going.

Bell led off the second with a well-struck single to left and then Jesse Barfield followed with a 415-foot blast to center, his fifth homer of the season. One out later, Lee laced a single to right, but Abbott got out of the inning when Liriano lined into a double play.

Actually, Abbott could have evened his record at 2-2 if it weren’t for a number of his own mental and physical breakdowns in the sixth inning.

Bell picked up his third hit of the evening when he lined a shot off the glove of a leaping Howell. Then Bell got a great jump off Abbott to steal second, took third on a wild pitch that bounced in the dirt and landed atop the screen behind home and scored on a balk when the rookie left-hander stepped off the rubber with the wrong (left) foot.

“As soon as I did it, I knew it was wrong,� Abbott said. “I’ve done it before, but they’ve never called it.�

That is one rookie mistake Abbott shouldn’t make again. And with the emergence of some offensive support and the re-emergence of that nasty little slider, Abbott might just find himself on a par with the rest of these amazin’ Angel pitchers.

Angel Notes

Kirk McCaskill, who came within three outs of a no-hitter Friday night, said the disappointment wasn’t overwhelming Saturday. “I didn’t sleep that well, but that was just because I was keyed up,� he said. “I guess it’s bothering me a twinge more today than last night, but it’s not eating at me or anything.� McCaskill’s wife, Dana, wasn’t taking any chances with her husband’s psyche at the moment, however. “She wouldn’t let me shave,� McCaskill said. “Didn’t want any razors close to any vital parts.�

Lance Parrish, who caught Jack Morris’ 1984 no-hitter when they were teammates at Detroit, said he thought McCaskill was going to go all the way when Dante Bichette made a running catch of Jesse Barfield’s one-out drive to left in the eighth inning. “I thought that might be a real good omen,� Parrish said. “There’s usually a great defensive play in every no-hitter that sort of sets the table.�

Parrish said Morris’ no-hitter was a much different game than Friday night. “Jack walked about a half dozen,� Parrish said, “and (Chicago) had the bases loaded with no one out one inning. Jack had that great split finger going and they were either swinging and missing or letting it go and walking.�

Manager Doug Rader said both Dick Schofield (strained chest muscle) and Tony Armas (strained left hamstring) will accompany the team on the nine-game trip that begins Tuesday in Baltimore, but neither will be activated before the team leaves Monday.