ANGELS NOTEBOOK: VALDES UNFAZED BY RETURN TO L.A.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Ismael Valdes is getting ready for his return to Dodger Stadium Friday, but he's in no mood to talk about it. Approached before Wednesday's game, it was Valdes who asked the first question.

``Is this about Friday?'' Valdes asked.

When told it was, Valdes replied, ``No comment, I gotta stretch,'' and walked away.

It will be Valdes' first trip to Dodger Stadium in a visiting uniform and his first opportunity to pitch against the Dodgers, for whom he played 6 1/2 seasons. Though Valdes was with the Cubs last season until his trade back to the Dodgers on July 26, the Cubs didn't visit L.A. until August.

Valdes didn't pitch against the Dodgers in Chicago either, so Friday's game might be an emotional one for him.

``He feels very comfortable pitching in that park,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He's pitching against another ballclub, that's the perspective he has to keep. Although he's facing his ex-teammates, that can't be the focus for him. He has to look at each hitter's strengths and weaknesses, make his pitches and be aggressive with them. I don't have any reservations about Rocket being able to do that.''

Valdes has had success pitching in Dodger Stadium throughout his career, going 34-25 with a 2.68 ERA. This season with the Angels, he is 3-3 with a 3.90 ERA.

--Washburn's troubles: Many pitchers improve when they add a pitch to their repertoire, but for Jarrod Washburn, the opposite has been true. He has improved by subtracting.

After going 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA in his first three starts this season, Washburn decided to ditch his curveball. Now the only breaking pitch he has to go along with his fastball is a slider.

Asked why he doesn't throw a curveball anymore, Washburn said: ``Because it was terrible. There was no reason to have two (bad) breaking balls. Now I can try to focus on one and make it better. My slider is getting better. It's not anywhere near where I want it, but I can concentrate on one instead of two.''

Since he abandoned his curveball, Washburn is 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in seven starts.

--Hasegawa almost ready: Reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa said he feels no stiffness or soreness in his right shoulder and expects to begin throwing off the mound Saturday. Hasegawa has not pitched since May 19 because of a slightly torn rotator cuff in his shoulder.

--Draft daze: The Angels finished the draft Wednesday by selecting 30 more players for a total of 52 in the two-day draft. In all, the Angels took 27 pitchers, seven catchers, 11 infielders and seven outfielders.

ANGELS VS. OAKLAND

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

TV/radio: Fox Sports Net; 570-AM, 1090-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (5-3, 3.82 ERA) will start for Anaheim against Oakland's Barry Zito (3-4, 5.06), the former Pierce College and USC pitcher. The Angels have won every game started by Schoeneweis this season at home, going 5-0. In those five games, Schoeneweis is 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA.

- Joe Haakenson

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ANGELS vs. OAKLAND (see text)