DICKSON TAKES THE RAP AS ANGELS FALL SHORT.

Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer

Jason Dickson had two easy cop-outs.

The recent clutch hitting that produced 21 runs the previous two games for the Angels wasn't available for the pitcher to rely on Friday night. Dickson has also been bothered by elbow tendinitis his past three starts.

The rookie, however, didn't blame his teammates nor his injury.

Instead, Dickson (6-2) entirely took responsibility in the Angels' 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins, his first defeat at Anaheim Stadium this season.

The loss in front of 28,922 also kept Anaheim one game behind Texas and prevented the club from moving into first place for the first time since April 4.

``It was terrible,'' said Dickson, whose runs all came with two outs. ``My fielding cost us the game and my pitching cost us the game.

``You relax mentally (with two outs). It was nothing physically. I felt that I had good stuff and I wasted it.''

Dickson finished with respectable numbers. In seven innings, the right-hander tied a career high with seven strikeouts and allowed just four runs (three earned), six hits and three walks on 119 pitches.

But in the bottom of the fifth, Dickson retired the first two Twins before allowing a double and a balk that put Pat Meares on third. Minnesota took advantage by scoring twice to go ahead 3-2.

With the game tied 3-3, Dickson had more problems in the top of the seventh when he couldn't finish a routine 1-3 play as the ball fell from his glove as he attempted to tag Darrin Jackson. Jackson eventually scored the game-winning run when Matt Lawton's two-out single brought the Los Angeles native in from third base. Dickson's error was the club's first in 53 innings.

``I couldn't come up with it,'' Dickson said. ``I went to tag him out and the ball wasn't there. I thought I had it.''

The Angels entered Friday with 26 hits in their past two games and stayed consistent with 12 hits against the Twins. But they also stranded seven runners, and their last eight batters failed to reach base.

``Jason has done a good job and he did well,'' Angels manager Terry Collins said. ``We just needed to get him some runs. He did a good job of keeping us in the game.''

With the Twins up 1-0, Angels designated hitter Eddie Murray tied it in the bottom of the second with a solo 410-foot homer off Minnesota starter Bob Tewksbury. The 41-year-old's third homer of the season accounted for just his third hit in his past 24 at-bats.

Anaheim took its only lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth when Garret Anderson's no-out single scored Jim Leyritz from second.

In the bottom of the fifth, the game was tied again, 3-3, when a one-out double by the Angels' Darin Erstad, who had three hits, scored Gary DiSarcina from second.

With the victory, Tewksbury (2-5) broke a three-game losing streak and reliever Rick Aguilera earned his 11th save.

Notes: Angels RHP Mark Gubicza, who is on the 15-day disabled list with right-shoulder discomfort, will not be allowed to throw a baseball until July 1. Gubicza experienced shoulder problems after throwing a simulated game at the Angels' Mesa, Ariz., complex May 23. The Northridge resident has already missed 41 games and will be limited to weight-lifting and physical therapy. . . . On Friday, X-rays on Angels center fielder Jim Edmonds were negative after he bruised his left knee while sliding into third base in the fifth inning against Oakland on Thursday. Although he didn't start, he pinch hit for Orlando Palmeiro in the ninth inning Friday and popped out. Edmonds complained about being sore after the game . . .

Angels' second baseman Luis Alicea missed Friday's game with a tight right hamstring suffered while running out a popout in the fourth inning at Oakland on Thursday. He is listed as day-to-day and will be replaced by Craig Grebeck today.

ANGELS TODAY

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: FSW; KTZN-AM (710).

Matchups: Angels LHP Chuck Finley (2-4, 4.91) will counter Minnesota LHP Scott Aldred (2-7, 6.68) in the second of a three-game series at Anaheim Stadium. During his last three starts, Finley has allowed eight earned runs in 23 innings.

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