PITCHER'S BLOCK; ANGELS' BELCHER FIGHTS TO REGAIN HIS WINNING FORM.

Byline: Joe Haakenson

Tim Belcher walked off the mound after giving up a run in a recent game and yelled an expletive that could be heard clearly all the way up to the press box.

Signed to a two-year, $10.2 million contract to be the Angels' No. 2 starter, Belcher, 37, has been cursing a lot lately.

``Tim Belcher competes,'' Angels manager Terry Collins said. ``He's a little bit of a perfectionist. That's what makes him so good.''

It's also what's driving Belcher crazy these days.

A 12-year veteran, Belcher was supposed to give the Angels innings - he's one of only four pitchers to throw 200 or more innings every year since 1991 (excluding strike-shortened 1994 and '95).

Yet this season, he's made it out of the sixth inning only once and gotten out of the fifth only twice in seven starts. He's 1-3 with a staff-worst 9.89 ERA.

So what's wrong? Has a pitcher who won 42 games in the past three seasons with the weak-hitting Kansas City Royals lost it? The Angels say no; he just needs a little time.

``We're not concerned,'' Collins said. ``He's a veteran guy, he's been through this before. You could say maybe he's off to a slow start, because his health is good and he's throwing well. He's just making mistakes. As long as he feels good, he's going to pitch his way out of it.''

Two of Belcher's worst games came when the offense gave him a big hand. In Toronto on April 22, Belcher took a 7-2 lead into the fifth inning and couldn't get three more outs. He gave up four in the inning and the Angels eventually lost 8-7.

At home against the same Blue Jays on April 28, Belcher took a 10-0 lead into the fifth and again couldn't get the victory. He gave up six in the inning before Collins took him out. The Angels eventually won that one 12-10.

In four of his seven starts, Belcher took the mound for the fifth but had to leave before getting out of the inning. His fifth-inning ERA is 40.50, while his ERA in the first four innings is 4.82.

Belcher, though, says the problem isn't the fifth inning. Though he hasn't given up nearly as many runs in innings 1-4, he says those innings aren't much different than the fifth.

``The misconception is that I'm throwing `four brilliant innings,' '' he said. ``They're not so brilliant. The first time through the order I might be able to get away with some things that you're not able to get away with the second and third time through the order. I think that's what's happening more than anything. I just need to make better pitches.''

When Belcher is missing with his pitches, he's missing right down the middle. He's working with pitching coach Dick Pole and bullpen coach Joe Coleman to correct the problem, but that's all he can do.

``I'm not searching for any major flaw,'' Belcher said. ``I'm not going to make any major changes. You get into trouble doing that kind of thing.''

``I don't think anybody knows why (Belcher is struggling),'' Collins said. ``You look at film and see what feels good and what doesn't. Sometimes you just keep working. There's no easy fix. You just grind your way through it.''

Belcher, whose next start is Friday at home against Tampa Bay, says he will pitch every game with the same idea that has helped him win 137 major-league games, including one this year in which he gave up just two runs and four hits in seven innings against Seattle.

``I won't approach it any differently,'' he said. ``Every start, every game I have the idea of throwing a shutout. If I give up one, I try not to give up two. If that goes by the board, I try to give up less than the other guy.''

BELCHER BY THE NUMBERS

With a 9.89 ERA, which is more than twice his 4.05 career average, Belcher is off to the worst start in his 13-year career.

1999 game-by-game

Opp. IP H R ER BB SO Dec. ERA

Cleveland 4.1 6 5 5 1 4 3 ND

at Texas 3.0 11 5 5 02 1 L

Seattle 7.0 4 2 2 1 2 4 W

at Toronto 4.2 10 6 6 3 2 3 ND

Toronto 4.2 9 6 6 2 1 5 ND

Chicago WS 4.1 8 7 7 2 1 0 L

at Boston 5.2 11 66 0 1 3 L

Totals 33.2 59 37 37 9 13 19 1-3

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO (Color) Angels catcher Matt Walbeck, left, leaves the mound after talking to Tim Belcher, who's struggling with a 9.89 ERA.

Neil Hamberg/Associated Press

BOX: BELCHER BY THE NUMBERS (see text)