ANGELS NOTEBOOK: DUSTY CAN DO WITHOUT INTERLEAGUE.

Byline: Gordon Verrell Staff Writer

Clearly, Dusty Baker, the San Francisco Giants' manager, is no fan of interleague play.

``There's a buzz when we play the (Oakland) A's,'' he said in the Giants' first-base dugout before Tuesday night's game. ``But there ain't no buzz here.

``It was fine the first couple of years,'' Baker said. ``We needed something. We had lost so many (fans) because of the work stoppage. But now . . . why should the Angels or Texas or Seattle determine what happens in our division?''

Mike Scioscia, the Angels' manager - and Baker's teammate when both were with the Dodgers - isn't especially wild about it, either.

``You'd much rather be playing teams in your own division,'' said Scioscia. ``You want to either pad your lead or pick up ground.''

--Belcher close: Right-hander Tim Belcher will make one more rehab start for Edmonton on Saturday night at Sacramento, then hopes to be ready for his first start of the season the following week at Baltimore.

``It's been like a four-month spring training,'' said Belcher, who had surgery Dec. 2 to repair a muscle in his right elbow.

--Bonded: The Angels' 11-inning, 5-4 loss to the Giants Monday was a ``doubled-edged sword,'' according to Scioscia.

``It was encouraging the way we came back,'' he said of the Angels' two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that tied the score. ``But it was discouraging that we didn't win.''

The Giants' Barry Bonds won it with his major league-leading 24th home run in the top of the 11th.

Asked if he thought Bonds, who turns 36 next month, is even better than his three NL MVP years in the early '90s, Scioscia said, ``I don't know if he's better, but he's been able to maintain. Bonds is like Mantle, Mays and Snider . . . one of those guys you always mention when you're comparing the best.''

--Player moves: The Angels outrighted infielder Keith Luuloa to Edmonton. He appeared in just six games and was 6 for 18. . . . The Giants' starter Tuesday night, Joe Nathan, was activated from the disabled list (tendinitis in right shoulder) prior to the game. To make room, outfielder Terrell Lowery was designated for assignment. He was 15 for 27 (.556) in 12 games.

ANGELS vs. SAN FRANCISCO

Time: 7:05 p.m. at Edison Field

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; KMPC-AM (1540), XPRS-AM (1090 Spanish)

Matchup: Kent Bottenfield (4-5, 5.15 ERA) vs. the Giants' Russ Ortiz (3-6, 6.30 ERA). Bottenfield, who has a 40-39 career record, is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA in three appearances vs. San Francisco while with St. Louis. Ortiz, from Montclair Prep, is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in one start against the Angels. The game concludes the Angels' six-game homestand. They are off Thursday, then begin a nine-game, three-city trip Friday night at Arizona.

- Gordon Verrell

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Box: ANGELS vs. SAN FRANCISCO (see text)