Angels Climb Back Into Third Place on 5th Win in Row, 5-2

Detroit’s Jack Morris, probable but reluctant starting pitcher for the American League All-Stars, tuned up Thursday night against a lineup somewhat less formidable than the one he’ll face Tuesday night.

In Oakland, it will be Jack Clark, Eric Davis, Andre Dawson and Mike Schmidt.

In Anaheim, it was Dick Schofield, Gary Pettis, Bob Boone and Jack Howell.

Final score from Anaheim Stadium: Angels 5, Detroit 2. Schofield had a single, two runs and a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Pettis had an RBI triple. Boone had a double and scored a run. Howell hit a home run deep into the Tiger bullpen.

As warm-ups go, this one wasn’t especially hot.

Morris (12-4) was outpitched by a 42-year-old former All-Star, Don Sutton, who combined with National League reject Greg Minton for a three-hitter against the Tigers. Sutton (6-9) allowed all three hits during his seven innings, surrendering bases-empty home runs to Matt Nokes and Kirk Gibson.

Minton worked the final two innings, retiring the six batters he faced to earn his fifth save.

It all added up to the Angels’ fifth straight triumph, their 15th victory in their last 18 games. With it, the Angels climbed back into third place in the American League West for the first time since May 24.

And for Sutton, it was his first victory at home in 1987. Sutton entered his 19th start of the season with an 0-5 record and a 4.59 earned-run average at Anaheim Stadium.

“It’s been a while,” Sutton said. “Willie Fraser and I have a little race going (Fraser is also 1-5 at home). He was reminding me that I hadn’t won here.

“I don’t know what it is. I’m comfortable here. I like playing here.”

So, usually, does Morris. He is 7-2 at Anaheim, which is one reason why he was more enthused about this start than his next one. Morris is expected to be named John McNamara’s starting pitcher in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

With Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen (14-3) scheduled to pitch Saturday, Morris will be better rested and thus, in McNamara’s mind, a better choice as a starter against the National League. An honor, no doubt, but an honor Morris said he would prefer to skip.

“There ain’t no way I should start,” Morris said last weekend. “Saberhagen deserves to start. Fourteen and two (at the time), and he’s not going to pitch. C’mon.

“Tell them to change Saberhagen’s schedule. Saberhagen is the best pitcher in the league this year. No one is supposed to have a first half like he’s had.”

Morris closed out his first half against the Angels, a team he had beaten four straight times entering this game. He downed the Angels, 12-4, on April 30, his last start at Anaheim.

This time, Morris couldn’t handle the bottom of the Angels’ batting order. He gave up two runs in the second inning, beginning when Boone, the .267-hitting catcher, doubled and scored from third base on an infield out by the No. 9 batter, Mark McLemore.

Boone had reached third when Schofield, the .231-hitting shortstop, beat out a single to shortstop and Pettis, the .219-hitting center fielder, walked to load the bases. Schofield scored from second on a wild pitch that catcher Nokes couldn’t locate until Morris pointed the ball out for him.

Morris surrendered two more runs in the sixth inning--one on a home run by Howell (.260), the other coming on a walk to Boone and a triple by Pettis. The RBI was only the 11th of the season for Pettis and his first since June 21.

The Angels scored their final run in the eighth. Doug DeCinces (.236) doubled to center, advanced to third on another wild pitch and scored on Schofield’s sacrifice fly to center.

Sutton has now allowed two runs or less in each of his last seven starts, yet is only 4-3. To him, five runs amounts to a virtual embarrassment of riches. And he made proper use of them, holding the American League’s top offensive team to three hits--the home runs by Nokes and Gibson and a single by Tom Brookens.

“I wish Lach (pitching coach Marcel Lachemann) would schedule me on the nights we score nine runs, but he won’t don’t do it,” Sutton said. “I’ve been pitching just well enough to lose a lot, and that’s no fun.”

Said Angel Manager Gene Mauch: “Sutton’s a marvel. One guy (Morris) is throwing 91 (m.p.h.), and the other guy’s throwing 81. I don’t know if guile is a nice word, but . . .”

If the description fits, it fits.

“We got four runs off (Morris) last time, and we didn’t make them stand up,” Mauch said. “If you get four or more off Morris, you better make it count.”

Sutton and Minton made it count, all right.

Next assignment for Morris: Grabbing some National League scouting reports and cramming for next Tuesday’s midterm.

Angel Notes

Gene Mauch has made it official: Kirk McCaskill’s next start has been pushed back until after the All-Star break. And McCaskill, to use his own words, is “mad” about it. Said McCaskill: “I was told it will be the first game after the break. It had better be the first game. I worked real hard to get back as soon as I could, I’m available to pitch, and now I’m being held back. I find it hard to believe. If you had told me when I had surgery that when I was ready to pitch again and they would delay it, I would have told you you were crazy.” To reactivate McCaskill, the Angels will have to make a roster move--possibly sending a pitcher to Edmonton--and by delaying McCaskill’s start, Mauch and General Manager Mike Port are buying more time before they need to make that decision. “I can see their dilemma,” McCaskill said. “Everybody’s pitching good right now. But I’m not here to take away anybody’s job. That job was mine--but it’s not mine right now. The whole situation baffles me.”

Tiger second baseman Lou Whitaker, chosen as an All-Star reserve Thursday, said he is hurting and will call American League Manager John McNamara and ask to be replaced. Whitaker claims to have an inflamed knee and a bad back, but neither ailment kept him out of the lineup Thursday night. Whitaker, however, is batting .260 with 27 RBIs and believes Texas’ Scott Fletcher (.310) belongs on the team. . . . Detroit rookie Matt Nokes was chosen as the backup All-Star catcher, and Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson was typically effusive in his praise of Nokes. “Everybody’s talking about his hitting, but he’s an excellent receiver, too,” Anderson said. “I love to watch him play. He reminds me of Don Mattingly--in the way he approaches the game, that is. He has the same work habits, but he still has a long way to go to be another Don Mattingly.” . . . Add Sparky: He has managed All-Star teams for both leagues and has empathy for the difficult tasks faced by McNamara and the New York Mets’ Davey Johnson in choosing the balance of their squads. “The All-Star manager should not have to do anything but show up,” he said. “The only reason you’re there is because your team won (the pennant the previous year). It wasn’t like you were selected for this job. They should let the other 13 managers in the AL and the other 11 in the NL select the people and then, when you show up, they should say, ‘Here’s what you got to work with.’ I hate to say this, but it’s gotten to the point (with all the attendant controversy) where you just don’t want to do it.”