ANGELS: WHO'S PREPARED TO PITCH IN?

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

If only Angels pitchers were spinning an ERA near 3.00 this month, the team might be in much better shape.

If only the starters were going deep into games --- like a stretch of seven-inning outings in 20 of their last 27 contests --- the look of the American League West standings would be drastically different.

If only the bullpen was stranding nearly all of its inherited runners, had an ERA around 2.83 and was holding opposing batters to a .228 batting average.

And it certainly would be nice if reliever Scot Shields had allowed only one earned run over his last 19 innings and bullpen mate Brendan Donnelly had allowed one earned run in his last 15 innings.

It certainly sounds like an impossible dream, yet that's exactly the run the Angels' pitching staff was on heading into this same weekend last season.

So while the struggling offense takes its shots --- and rightfully so --- it is the pitching staff that has been drastically different this season.

Manager Mike Scioscia knew it would be a lot to ask from the pitching staff to repeat its performance of last season.

``But we had every confidence that they still will be in that same vicinity of how they performed last year,'' Scioscia said. ``Over the winter, we marveled at how well they did on the pitching side and how well we complimented it with great defense. Right now, we're a little shaky at both areas.

``But we weren't built around these guys putting up the same numbers exactly because we knew it was a terrific year. We felt we had the potential to. We had confidence they could do the job and we could win with what we expected from them, but you're not always going to have it fall into place like it did last year.''

The offense? It was horrible at this point last year too.

Toward the end of May last season, the Angels had a team batting average of .228 in the month, had scored five runs or less in 27 of their last 29 games and had 15 runs in their last six games.

There always has been an expectation that the team's offense might struggle. It did last season and management tried to throw $62 million at the problem in the offseason. But Paul Konerko signed elsewhere and the next-best options were deemed unreliable.

Mike Piazza was considered too expensive for a player on the decline. Frank Thomas was coming off two serious foot injuries. Jacque Jones was a corner outfielder and wouldn't have a spot to play. Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon were never considered to be going anywhere but to the New York Yankees.

On the trade market, the Boston Red Sox made Manny Ramirez available but they wanted Chone Figgins, Ervin Santana, Howie Kendrick and Brandon Wood. Oh yeah, and they also wanted the Angels to pick up all of the $57 million remaining on Ramirez's contract.

Jim Thome also was on the market, but indications are the Angels thought the former Indian and Phillie never would be the impact player he once was because of multiple injuries last season. The Angels weren't alone in their thinking, yet Thome leads the AL in home runs and RBIs.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

So the Angels tried selling their plan of letting kids like Mathis and Casey Kotchman play and hoped the pitching staff would match its form of 2005. Wrong again.

``When the hitting isn't going so well, you need the pitching to step up, and vice versa,'' Shields said. ``As a pitching staff, we haven't picked it up like we should with the hitting not where it needs to be. That's the way it goes, but we feel fortunate we're only 4 1/2 (games out of first place) so it's there.''

The pitching differences from last season are plentiful:

--Bartolo Colon was 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA at the end of May last season. He hasn't pitched much this season because of shoulder soreness and when he has taken the mound, the results haven't been good. Colon is 0-2 this season with a 7.07 ERA in just 14 innings.

--The impact of Bengie Molina's departure can't be understated. The veteran is considered one of the best at handling a pitching staff. Just ask the Toronto Blue Jays. Their rookie, Casey Janssen, has a 3.34 ERA this season, largely based on 15 1/3 scoreless innings against the Angels.

--Molina's departure meant the Angels had to mix in two rookie catchers. Jeff Mathis struggled on both offense and defense and was returned to the minor leagues. Mike Napoli has fared much better but still lacks the experience of Molina.

--Shorter starts mean an overworked bullpen. Angels relievers had worked 127 2/3 innings by this point last season. This year, they have logged 143 2/3 innings, nearly two full games more.

--Jeff Weaver hasn't been close to the front-line starter the Angels hoped to get when they gambled on a one-year deal this spring. His 2-7 mark with a 6.99 ERA pales in comparison to the 4-4 record and 4.19 ERA Paul Byrd carried into this same weekend last year. Weaver is making $8.325 million this season. Byrd is making $7 million with the Indians.

``When you lose a Cy Young (winner), that makes a dent in your staff, but the strength of our team is the depth of our pitching,'' pitching coach Bud Black said.

``This game ebbs and flows. We think there are a couple of guys on the staff who aren't pitching to their potential. We think with the nature of baseball, those guys will come back to the norm. If they do that, things will strengthen out for us.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Reliever Scot Sheilds (1.03 ERA) is the only Angels pitcher with an ERA of less than 3.50 this season.

Linda Kaye/Associated Press

Box:

ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE

- Doug Padilla