DeCinces’ Hit in 12th Gives Angels 5-4 Win on a Night for Carew

Angel first basemen, past and present, were honored and dishonored Tuesday night before Wally Joyner, the man who made extra innings possible with three defensive botches, righted his evening’s ledger and scored the winning run in the Angels’ 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the 12th inning.

Nearly five hours after Rod Carew, the Angels’ first baseman from 1979 through 1985, had his jersey retired in a pregame ceremony, Joyner, the man who replaced Carew in 1986, crossed home plate on Doug DeCinces’ bases-loaded single off Minnesota reliever Roy Lee Jackson.

Jackson came on after Ron Davis (2-6) opened the bottom of the 12th and failed to retire any of the three hitters he faced.

Joyner led off with a single to right and advanced to third on a single to left by Brian Downing. Davis then intentionally walked Reggie Jackson to set up the confrontation between DeCinces and the Twins’ Jackson.

Minnesota Manager Ray Miller brought his infield in--and then some--for DeCinces. Right fielder Tom Brunansky moved in right behind second base, with center fielder Kirby Puckett patrolling right and left fielder Randy Bush shading toward center.

On an 0-2 pitch, DeCinces lined the ball over Brunansky’s head, scoring Joyner with the decisive run.

The victory went to reliever Gary Lucas (1-0), who pitched perfect 11th and 12th innings, and increased the Angels’ lead in the American League West to three games over Texas.

The game would have never required overtime, however, had Joyner made any one of three defensive plays during regulation. But with three errors, Joyner allowed the Twins to erase deficits of 1-0 and 4-3 and force a 4-4 after nine innings.

This came on the same evening the Angels retired the jersey of Rod Carew, the man Joyner replaced at first base in 1986.

How Wally World broke down before an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 29,094:

--Second inning: Joyner misplays a grounder by Billy Beane for an error. Beane takes second on a wild pitch by Angel starter Kirk McCaskill and score on a single by Greg Gagne. A 1-0 Angel advantage, courtesy Ruppert Jones’ leadoff home run in the first inning, is wiped out.

--Ninth inning: With Minnesota’s Randy Bush on first base and one out, Roy Smalley hits a bouncer to Joyner. Joyner, attempting to force Bush at second, throws high and away to shortstop Dick Schofield, who can’t pull the ball down.

One out later, Kent Hrbek sends another grounder Joyner’s way. Relief pitcher Donnie Moore runs over to cover first, waiting for the relay and to step on the bag for the final out. But Moore’s six-foot frame is no match for Joyner’s nine-foot high toss. The ball skims the top of Moore’s glove and skitters away, allowing Bush to score the tying run from second.

In the bottom of the ninth, Joyner tried to make amends by singling Gary Pettis to third base with two outs. But Brian Downing ended the inning by flying out to center field.

The Twins threatened in the 10th. Tim Launder led off with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Steve Lombardozzi. But Moore stranded him thereby getting pinch-hitter Mickey Hatcher and Bush to ground out to Schofield.

Keith Atherton, who relieved Minnesota starter Mike Smithson in the eighth inning, retired the Angels in order in the bottom of the 10th.

The Angels had taken an early lead, due largely to a last-minute lineup change by Manager Gene Mauch. About an hour before game time, Mauch switched leadoff hitters--replacing Pettis with Ruppert Jones. Pettis was playing with a sore ankle suffered while chasing a home run by Gaetti in Monday’s game.

Mauch didn’t need to wait long for the results of his late lineup switch. Jones, the new leadoff hitter, sent Mike Smithson’s second pitch of the game over the center field fence for his 13th home run of the season and a 1-0 Angel lead.

In the third inning, after the Twins had tied the score at 1-1, Pettis, the new No. 9 hitter, opened with a single to right. It was the beginning of a three-run inning.

Pettis took third on Jones’ second hit of the evening, a single to right, and scored when Wally Joyner’s infield grounder rolled through the legs of Minnesota second baseman Alvaro Espinosa. There was more Twin Aid to come. Smithson unleashed a wild pitch to Brian Downing, enabling Jones to score and Joyner to advance to second.

After Downing struck out, Reggie Jackson and Doug DeCinces matched singles to center field. Jackson’s moved Joyner to third and DeCinces’ brought him home.

It was DeCinces’ 16th RBI in his last 16 games.

The Twins had tied the score in the second inning on a sloppy run of their own. Joyner misplayed a grounder by Billy Beane into an error and McCaskill wild-pitched him to second. From there, Beane scored on a single through the left side of the infield by Greg Gagne.

The Angels’ three-run third inning gave them a 4-1 advantage, which McCaskill precariously protected until the seventh. He got out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the fifth by striking out Kent Hrbek and getting Tom Brunansky to ground to DeCinces, who started an inning-ending double play.

But in the seventh, McCaskill again let the first three Twins he faced reach base. This time, it cost him.

Pinch-hitter Randy Bush singled to right, followed by an infield single to shortstop by Puckett. Then, Roy Smalley tripled into the right-field corner . . . and Minnesota had pulled to within 4-3.

But the Twins left Smalley on third base. Gary Gaetti popped up for the first out. Hrbek grounded to Joyner for the second out. And shortstop Dick Schofield ended the threat by leaping to intercept a line drive to left field by Brunansky.

Angel Notes Vern Ruhle, who makes his second start with the Angels tonight, has found that his first start, a 6-4 victory over Seattle, has done wonders for his social life. “I’ve heard from a lot of friends, college mates, classmates, people I haven’t seen in years,” Ruhle said. “There’s been a lot of general support, people saying ‘Glad to see you’re back.’ Anybody who’s had personal frustrations and trials can identify with what I’ve gone through, I guess. A lot of people have been in and out of work. But because I’m in baseball, my situation is more visible.” When Ruhle considers his long journey back to the major leagues--throwing batting practice, pitching for the San Jose Bees, pitching for a semipro team called the Orange County A’s--he laughs. “One of my teammates on the A’s came down to the bullpen the other day,” Ruhle said. “He went up to the fence and said, ‘I knew you could still pitch.’ Back then, to think about pitching for the Angels, in a pennant race. . . . well, that was out of sight. I was quite a ways away.” . . . Ruhle still looks at his status as the Angels No. 5 starter as temporary. “My view of the situation, and Gene Mauch’s, too, is that I’m a spot starter,” he said.