ANGELS : Langston Feels Ahead of the Game

In gaining encouragement from pitching three strong innings against the San Diego Padres Monday, Mark Langston wasn’t merely grasping at phantom shreds of hope.

Having refined his delivery and purged last season’s 10-17 performance from his memory, the Angel left-hander believes he is building a foundation for success. Every good outing--even in March--establishes a positive pattern for him.

“This is where it starts, realistically,” Langston said after giving up two hits and striking out one in the Angels’ 9-4 victory at wind-swept Packard Stadium.

“You always look forward to your first game to get that out of your way. It’s a nice feeling, especially not to walk anybody. . . . Throwing more strikes is something I have in mind for this season. Last season, I was behind in the count a lot more than I should have been. The games I pitched well, I was ahead of the count. That’s the basis of pitching, really.”

Physically and emotionally, Langston was ready for his exhibition debut. Ice and rest healed the bruised right forearm he suffered when he was struck by a line drive in an intrasquad game Thursday; time and concentration helped him forget last season’s frustration and made him eager to get going again.

“I’m not looking back at last year. I’m looking forward to what I can do this year,” said Langston, who will earn $3.25 million in the second year of his five-year, $16-million contract. “During the off-season, I trained harder than I ever had. I biked quite a bit and I stayed on the weights.

“I don’t feel I have to prove myself this year. I proved myself in the past. I had good years before. Last year, I just didn’t do it.”

Reliever Bob McClure, who has been hampered by tightness in his left shoulder, returned to California to be examined by team physician Lewis Yocum. The left-hander was sent back after he experienced discomfort in the back of his shoulder Monday while throwing. A report is expected today.

McClure missed most of last season because of tendinitis in his left elbow, which is unrelated to his current problem.

Joe Grahe and Scott Lewis are engaged in a sort of high-stakes poker game. No sooner does one of the rookie right-handers up the ante in their competition to win a spot in the pitching rotation, than the other matches it.

Grahe gave up a hit and struck out three in three innings Monday, as impressive as Lewis’ three-inning, one-strikeout effort Sunday. They are the top candidates to replace Bert Blyleven if Blyleven hasn’t recovered from shoulder surgery when the season opens, and they are making an interesting race of it.

“Obviously, there’s some kind of comparison that’s going to be made, but it’s really me against the hitters,” Grahe said. “You can’t let anything else enter your mind.

“I know what he’s doing--You’re aware of what everyone’s doing. But I’ve still got things to prove to myself and you make it awful tough on yourself when you worry about somebody else.”

The Angels got 15 hits against five Padre pitchers in ending their 10-game spring losing streak. Wally Joyner drove in two runs, Dave Winfield drove in three with two doubles and Jack Howell was three for four, raising his exhibition batting average to .667 (six for nine).

Mark Eichhorn gave up three runs in the seventh, ending a 16-inning scoreless streak by Angel relievers, and Bryan Harvey gave up a home run to Jim Vatcher in the eighth.