ANGELS MANAGE TO LAND IN CELLAR : LACHEMANN BLAMES HIMSELF AFTER LOSS OAKLAND 6, ANGELS 5.

Byline: Jeff Miller Orange County Register

The last-place Angels.

That's it. Last place. One day before the All-Star break. Eighty-seven games into the season. Eight-and-a-half games out. Last place.

Behind everyone, including Oakland, a team that beat them again Saturday 6-5 in 10 innings. A team with a lineup featuring Mashore, Batista and the almighty George Williams.

Last place.

``Right now, we're just not good enough,'' catcher Don Slaught said. ``Maybe our expectations were too high, I don't know. Teams are outplaying us, outpitching us and outhitting us.''

And, according to Marcel Lachemann, outmanaging us.

He demanded the blame, particularly for the game's embarrassing conclusion, when Angels relievers walked the final three batters to force home the losing run.

Lachemann said he was upset because he tried to stretch Mike James beyond his limits. The right-hander matched his career-high with three innings but failed to retire his last four batters.

He was pulled after falling behind Rafael Bournigal 2-0 with the bases loaded and two outs. Chuck McElroy entered and threw consecutive balls to end it.

``I don't expect him to take any of the blame,'' James insisted. ``If I'm still able to throw the ball, I should be able to throw strikes.''

Said McElroy: ``It's a tough situation, coming in 2-0 with the bases loaded. But you still have to put the ball over the plate.''

James walked seven as the Angels finished with 12 total. The two relievers and starter Mark Langston threw more balls (81) than strikes (78). All the freebies helped the A's put together bases-loaded rallies in the ninth and 10th - with only one hit.

In losing the first three games of this series, the Angels have walked 32.

``You can't win when you're putting 30-some runners on base for free,'' Slaught said. Added Langston, ``That's obviously brutal.''

He said ``definitely the worst walk'' came when he threw four consecutive balls to Damon Mashore in a seventh-inning rally that allowed the A's to tie the score at 5-5. Mashore was even trying to make an out, squaring to sacrifice with each pitch.

``I ended up killing us right there,'' Langston said. ``There's no way that should have happened.''

Besides using James too much, Lachemann said he also erred in not using Slaught at all. With runners at first and third and one out in the 10th, Lachemann allowed Pat Borders to face Billy Taylor.

Slaught is hitting .120 points higher (.339 to .219) and striking once every 13.8 at-bats compared to Borders' ratio of once every 4.6 at-bats.

``Nothing against Pat, but I've got to use Don Slaught right there,'' Lachemann said. ``He's a good contact hitter, and he's left sitting on the bench. That's bad managing.''

Borders struck out on three pitches and looked silly doing it. He lost his bat on the second strike and missed the third one badly.

``I can't pick up the spin on his slider,'' Borders said. ``He has always been real tough on me.''

The Angels have lost six of seven to Oakland, four in a row overall and nine of their past 11.

``This has been real disappointing,'' Langston said.