ANGELS : Grahe-Lewis Rivalry Remains a Friendly One

Circumstances have made Joe Grahe and Scott Lewis rivals, but their friendship remains intact.

The right-handers are staging a keen competition to replace Bert Blyleven in the Angels’ rotation, a move that appears more certain because of Blyleven’s slow recovery from shoulder surgery.

But if either rookie is nervous about opening the season in the big leagues, he hasn’t shown it. Each time Lewis pitches well, Grahe--whose turn follows by a day--takes it as a challenge rather than a blow to his chances.

Each made it through his first six innings without giving up a run, but Lewis yielded four runs to the San Francisco Giants Monday in 3 2/3 innings. Grahe missed a chance to one-up Lewis Tuesday when rain washed out the Angels’ game against the Seattle Mariners at Tempe Diablo Stadium, but Grahe will get another opportunity today against Milwaukee at Compadre Stadium in Chandler.

“We tell each other to do the best we can and let management decide. We’re fine. It’s not our decision,” said Grahe, who was 3-4 with the Angels last season in eight starts. “The situation has nothing to do with how we interact with each other.”

Hearing Blyleven say this week that he might not be sound until the season is a month old hasn’t changed Grahe’s approach.

“I came into camp thinking that (Blyleven wouldn’t be ready). Not because it’s Bert, but (also) because of the other pitchers,” Grahe said. “One of them could get hurt, and you have to put yourself into the position of being ready to step in. If not, you’re still ready to pitch, so you’re in a position where you don’t lose.”

Grahe didn’t gloat over seeing the Giants get to Lewis Monday because he knows the same could happen to him.

“There have been times this spring that everyone, from the number one starter on down the line, has been hit hard at one time or another. Everyone’s going to have to take a turn at it,” said Grahe, whose new cut fastball has so far enabled him to avoid giving up a hit except for a windblown single by the San Diego Padres’ Darrin Jackson.

“There are days you give up a lot of bleeders and there are a lot of errors, and sometimes you go out there and everything’s caught. For me, it seems like everything’s being caught. I have to enjoy it because I know it’s not going to last.”

Mark Langston will start today against the Brewers, followed by Grahe, Mark Eichhorn and Bryan Harvey.

Chuck Finley, Scott Bailes, Jeff Robinson and Mike Fetters, who were originally scheduled to pitch today, will have to settle for a simulated game at Gene Autry Park in Mesa because Angelpitching coach Marcel Lachemann was unable to schedule a B game or a split-squad game today.

Langston was to make his first four-inning outing Tuesday. Langston has pitched six scoreless innings, three against the Padres March 11 and three against the Cleveland Indians Friday. He has given up four hits, walked one and struck out three.

For comparison, in last year’s lockout-shortened spring, Langston was 1-1 with a 3.94 earned-run average. He went on to a 10-17 and 4.40 season.