ANGELS' WOES CONTINUE : KANSAS CITY 8, ANGELS 2.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

What a disaster.

Going into a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals, the Angels had won six straight and 13 of their previous 17 and were only 1-1/2 games behind first-place Texas.

Coming out of the series, they've learned their best pitcher (Mark Langston) will be out eight weeks with an injury, have an unsettling closer controversy and have the indignity of being swept by one of the weaker teams in baseball to fall four back of Texas.

The Royals pounded the pitching-thin Angels 8-2 on Thursday before 15,302 spectators at Anaheim Stadium who, along with other Angels fans, can only wince at the thought of the mighty Cleveland Indians coming to town today for a three-game series.

``We just played poorly this series,'' Angels manager Marcel Lachmann said. ``They outplayed us, outhustled us, outmanaged us, everything. They just beat us.

``We can't win six, lose four, win six, lose four. We have to be more consistent.''

The Angels had reason for optimism going into Thursday's game: Starter (and eventual loser) Jason Grimsley had won his first two starts at Anaheim Stadium, allowing only two earned runs in 16-1/3 innings.

That didn't mean much to the Royals, however. They scored six runs - four earned - off Grimsley (2-2) in 5-1/3 innings to do more than enough damage on a day the Angels could manage only seven hits off Kansas City starter Mark Gubicza (8-2/3 innings, two earned runs).

Kansas City initiated the carnage in the second. First baseman J.T. Snow couldn't handle a hard ground ball hit by Bip Roberts - an error - and Roberts ended up at second. He went to third on a ground out by Michael Tucker and sacrifice fly by Bob Hamelin.

The Royals added another run in the third, David Howard singling, moving to second on a ground out and scoring from there when second baseman Rex Hudler, after fielding a simple grounder, threw the ball over Snow's head.

Kansas City's big inning was the fifth, when Jose Offerman and Howard singled and catcher Sal Fasano, batting ninth in the order, hit the first home run of his career to give the Royals a hefty 5-0 lead.

``It's embarrassing to get beat by a team like that,'' Grimsley said. ``I mean, they have some guys who can play baseball but they're not the 1927 Yankees.

Notes: It's anybody's guess who the Angels closer is.

A day after Lee Smith blew his first save opportunity since he was activated from the DL, Lachmann wouldn't say whether Smith or Troy Percival is his man.

``You'll have to wait and see who comes out in the ninth inning,'' said Lachmann, who earlier had made it clear that no player should lose his job as the result of an injury.

``I make statements to you (reporters) and then I get locked in. I won't do that anymore.''

Smith, the all-time saves leader, was placed on the DL on April 4 with an inflamed right knee. Since then, Percival has been perfect as closer: 11 for 11 in save opportunities and not one run allowed.

This put Lachmann in a difficult position: Do you stay with your hot young (28 years old) pitcher or go with your proven, but aging (38) and rusty veteran?

The situation was exacerbated when general manager Bill Bavasi said the team was committed to Percival and said he would look to trade Smith. He later backtracked when Lachmann expressed anger at having his authority usurped. . . .

Lachmann said he will continue to platoon at third base.

Tim Wallach, Jack Howell and George Arias have all started there.

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Photo

PHOTO (color) Angels shortstop Randy Velarde beats Kansas C ity's Bip Roberts to second and doubles runner at first.

Associated Press