PERISHO MIGHT NOT BE ANSWER; ROOKIE STARTER STRUGGLES IN LOSS TO TWINS : MINNESOTA 5, ANGELS 4.

Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer

The media, the manager and the 21-year-old himself were all asking the same question about Matt Perisho.

Can the rookie left-hander from Double-A Midland step into an Angels' starting-pitching rotation, which has been riddled with injuries, and produce?

If Sunday afternoon's performance was any indication, the answer was a convincing no as the Minnesota Twins battered Perisho during the Angels' 5-4 loss in front of 23,875 at Anaheim Stadium, which kept Anaheim from catching Texas atop the division.

In just three-plus innings, Perisho allowed four runs (all earned), six hits and four walks.

Also, he was tagged for two homers, tossed three wild pitches and allowed the leadoff hitter to get on in each of the first four innings.

And it could've been much worse. Perisho was aided by a double play in each of the first three innings.

Perisho, who made only his second career start, was recalled from Midland on May 23 to replace veteran Angels pitcher Mark Langston on the 25-man roster and in the rotation. Langston, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow May 27, is on the 15-day disabled list and is unofficially expected to return in 10 to 12 weeks.

``I'd like to get as many quality innings as I can until Mark Langston returns,'' Perisho said. ``I wouldn't say it has been a burden, but it hasn't been that easy to replace a guy like (Langston) who has been such a workhorse for so many years. It is definitely in the back of my mind. I got to give a better effort than what I'm doing.

``I've been sitting here trying to find some positives. The positive thing is I'm still here. The sun will rise (today) and I'm excited about my next start.''

Langston said the young pitcher need only please himself and that he intends to give him some words of wisdom before the end of the homestand.

However, there isn't much Langston can say to pitcher Mark Gubicza. The veteran will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, the Angels announced. It will be performed either Tuesday or Wednesday by team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood.

Yocum will be exploring Gubicza's shoulder for cartilage damage and will remove any frayed tissue. The Northridge resident, who has been on the DL 43 games with the shoulder discomfort, met with Yocum Saturday night and decided in favor of surgery.

On Friday, the Angels said Gubicza was to refrain from throwing until July 1 after he felt pain during a rehab stint in Mesa, Ariz., on May 23. At best, he could return in 6 to 8 weeks.

``I just want to get it done now,'' Gubicza said. ``Hopefully everything will be done right so I can be back in August and September.''

Before coming to Anaheim, Perisho allowed three earned runs or fewer in 9 of 10 starts at Midland.

But during his major-league debut, a 6-2 May 27 setback at Detroit, he took the loss and left the game trailing 4-0. In that game, he allowed five earned runs, hit a batter, balked, threw a wild pitch and walked four.

Despite Perisho's struggles, manager Terry Collins and the Angels haven't given up on the rookie.

Well, at least not yet.

``The only other guy I would start at this time would be (Shigetoshi) Hasegawa,'' Collins said. ``I like our bullpen and I don't want to mess with it. We have to take a look and see if there is someone else at (Triple-A) Vancouver or Midland who is pitching good.

``(Perisho) is going to go back out there. He is a guy that we thought is the best we had (in the minors). We're going to give him a good look.''

After entering the bottom of the third, down 3-0, the Angels batted around for the 12th time this season and produced four runs to take the lead. After the Twins tied the game 4-4 in the fourth, Minnesota's Terry Steinbach hit his second homer of the game in the fifth, which turned out to be the clincher. It was the catcher's sixth career multihomer game.

With two outs and a man on first in the ninth, the Angels had one last chance, but Jim Edmonds struck out to end the lengthy contest. The game lasted 3 hours, 52 minutes, just seven minutes shy of the Anaheim Stadium record for a nine-inning game.

Notes: Right fielder Tim Salmon's wife, Marci, is expected to undergo thyroid cancer surgery during the Angels' off-day today. . . . Luis Alicea, who missed the Minnesota series with a tight right hamstring, is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday against Kansas City.

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Photo: MARK LANGSTON: Matt Perisho was recalled from Midland on May 23 to replace the Angels veteran on the 25-man roster and in the rotation.