White’s Catch That Isn’t Makes It Easy for Baltimore, 9-5

BALTIMORE —  Another Angel losing streak has gotten out of hand here, much the same way Devon White lost control of a pivotal fly ball during Baltimore’s 9-5 victory Thursday night at Memorial Stadium.

When White, the Angels’ center fielder, dropped a shallow pop fly behind second base, it paved the way for four unearned Baltimore runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. And those runs were enough to send the Angels to their eighth straight defeat against the Orioles, a team that would have only 50 victories were it not for California.

Baltimore, the sixth-place team in the American League East, is 8-1 against the Angels in 1987, losing the first meeting in Anaheim before reeling off wins in the next eight. Included were two victories in late May that were part of a nine-game Angel losing streak, the club’s longest of the decade.

“This team always seems to do well against us, and it’s hard to reason why,” Angel third baseman Doug DeCinces said. “I’d certainly like to change it.”

Instead, the Angels keep finding new and exciting ways to louse themselves up against Baltimore. This time, it came on a ball White should have caught, and claimed to have caught, before losing his grip while transferring the ball from glove to throwing hand.

Second base umpire Steve Palermo ruled it no catch, and the Orioles were on their way to breaking open another game with the Angels.

Baltimore led, 5-3, when Terry Kennedy opened the seventh inning with a high fly to short center field. Angel shortstop Dick Schofield went back on the ball, and White sprinted in, reaching up for the ball at the last moment.

Still running, White gloved the ball but bobbled it when he tried to pluck it from the mitt’s webbing. When the ball hit the turf, Palermo, the closest umpire to the play, signaled no catch.

“He didn’t have possession,” Palermo said later. “He didn’t voluntarily release the ball. As he went to take the ball out of his glove, the ball fell straight down.

“He has to come out and voluntarily release the ball. It’s like catching the ball and coming to the mound and flipping it. That’s voluntarily releasing the ball.”

White, however, volunteered that Palermo erred in his judgment.

“I know I caught the ball,” White said. “I was getting ready to flip it to the infield--that’s when I dropped the the ball.

“I’ve seen a lot of people do the same thing, and it’s always an out. (Palermo) didn’t see it. His back was turned. He saw the ball on the ground when he finally turned.

“He should have appealed it (to another umpire).”

Angel Manager Gene Mauch has also seen the same play before. In his view, the call could have gone either way.

“(Palermo) was right, but a lot of umpires would have called that ball a catch,” Mauch said. “(White) carried the ball a couple steps, tried to take it out of his glove and dropped it. It was the transfer of the ball (in question).

” . . . (But) the umpires work hard at two things--knowing the rules and proving it every day. Palermo knows the rules and he proved it.”

When two of the next three Orioles made outs, White’s catch/non-catch loomed significant. Following a sacrifice bunt by Mike Hart, a walk to Lee Lacy and a fly-out by Billy Ripken, Cal Ripken hit a three-run home run off relief pitcher Gary Lucas. Eddie Murray then singled, and Ray Knight doubled him home.

A 5-3 game was suddenly 9-3. Take away the error, factor in DeCinces’ two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, and the Angels might have been tied at 5-5.

Take away another unearned Baltimore run, and it might have been a 5-4 game. Angel second baseman Mark McLemore misplayed a leadoff grounder by Cal Ripken in the sixth inning, and that set up the fifth run against Angel starter and loser Jerry Reuss (4-2).

Murray singled Ripken to second, and then, with Lucas pitching, Larry Sheets blooped a run-scoring single into shallow center field.

In addition to the assistance they received, the Orioles also managed their usual allotment of home runs against Angel pitching. Thursday night, they hit three of them--a solo home run by Murray in the second inning, a two-run shot by Knight in the fourth inning and Cal Ripken’s three-run home run in the seventh.

This is how eight-game losing streaks against a 58-69 ballclub are made possible for the Angels.

“History will tell you that the Orioles are always tough against the Angels,” Mauch said, noting California’s 37-68 record against Baltimore since 1978.

“A certain group of players did it then, and another group of players are involved now.”

So, some things never change?

“Their season’s been over for a long time,” Mauch said of the current Orioles. “They’re playing free and easy right now.”

And the Angels, ostensibly contenders in the AL West, are anything but.

Angel Notes

Baltimore’s Eddie Murray went 4-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs Thursday to continue his personal dominance of Angel pitching. For his career, Murray has a .335 batting average, 27 home runs and 102 RBIs against California. “He has some unbelievable numbers against this ballclub,” Doug DeCinces said. “He sees these uniforms and his eyes light up.” Last week, DeCinces sent a few reporters scurrying by starting a bogus rumor that had the Orioles dealing Murray to the Dodgers for Mike Marshall, Alejandro Pena and Ken Howell. “That’s just one more reason why the Dodgers have to make that trade,” DeCinces said with a laugh. . . . Angel starting pitcher Jerry Reuss lasted 5-plus innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits, including home runs by Murray and Ray Knight. Angel Manager Gene Mauch’s assessment: “He had a little trouble keeping the ball in the ballpark. Aside from that, he pitched nice.”

Butch Wynegar’s 1987 season came to an end Thursday when the Angels announced that the backup catcher will be sent home to Longwood, Fla., where his injured right big toe will be placed in a cast for at least a month. Dr. Lewis Yocum examined Wynegar Wednesday in Inglewood and a CAT-scan revealed further arthritic changes in the toe. The condition first forced Wynegar on the disabled list May 18, where he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from the toe. Wynegar rejoined the team June 26 but jammed the toe while crossing first base during a July 10 game against Detroit. He then returned to the disabled list July 28 and hasn’t played since. Wynegar, 31, finished the season with a .207 batting average and 5 RBIs in 31 games. . . . A rib-cage strain is expected to keep DeWayne Buice out of the Baltimore series. Mauch said he planned to rest Buice at least three days and team physical therapist Roger Williams said bringing back Buice before Monday “would be pushing it.” Buice hasn’t thrown since Sunday but played long-toss in the outfield before Thursday’s game. “I wasn’t supposed to, but I did anyways,” Buice said. “It’s feeling better. The first two mornings, it was kind of painful when I first got out of bed, but it felt a lot better when I woke up this morning.” Buice said he doesn’t expect to pitch again until next week’s series in Toronto, at the earliest. “I know they don’t want to rush me,” he said. . . . Gary Pettis was sent to Edmonton to work on his batting stroke, but because of a sore left hand, he hasn’t received much of a chance. Pettis, who reported to the Trappers last Friday, went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his first game, pinch-ran in the second and hasn’t appeared since. Edmonton Manager Tom Kotchman plans to keep Pettis out of the lineup until the hand improves.