ANGELS : This Kind of Support Is Welcomed by Pitchers

Although Angel pitchers are thrilled to see Dave Parker and Dave Winfield driving in runs, they might be better off pitching as if the two sluggers weren’t there.

Last season, when an inconsistent offense made every game a potential 1-0 drama, the pitching staff was under constant pressure. Based on the spring production of Parker and Winfield, there could be a greater margin for error, but right-hander Kirk McCaskill hopes they won’t expect such support every game and become careless.

“We as pitchers have to make sure we don’t fall into that trap,” he said. “You want to keep the 1-0 mentality and hope for 7-2.”

He and the Angels gladly took a 7-6 victory Thursday over the Oakland Athletics on Parker’s 10th-inning home run off rookie Tim Peek, his second homer of the game.

After a 25-minute rain delay, McCaskill gave up three runs in the third inning and left with the Angels trailing, 5-3. Parker’s first home run as an Angel, a long, two-run blast to right off Dave Stewart, compensated for McCaskill’s difficulties.

“That’s the thing we’ve been looking for the past few years, and hopefully, we’ve got it now,” McCaskill said of Parker’s home runs and Winfield’s two doubles. “I think we’ve got a good thing going.”

Parker went three for four Thursday and is seven for 11 since the Angels acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers. And that’s while not consciously striving for a fast start.

“I tried not to put that kind of pressure on myself,” he said. “I made that mistake when I came to Oakland, trying to make my presence felt right away, and I was trying too hard. I’m just trying to be patient here. . . .

“We’re going to score some runs if we all stay healthy and do the things we’re capable of. We have one of the most potent lineups in baseball. There’s Junior Felix, Luis Polonia, Dave (Winfield), Wally Joyner, Gary Gaetti, myself--that’s an awesome lineup for pitchers to deal with.”

Parker says the A’s got that message Thursday. “They know we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with,” he said, “and even if it’s just spring, you don’t want to be embarrassed. We want to make an impression. The real fight is yet to come. This was just a little sparring match.”

The Angels finished the Arizona portion of their exhibition schedule with a 7-6 record. They begin play in Palm Springs Saturday.

“With the problems we had with the weather, I feel lucky we got as much done as we have,” Manager Doug Rader said. “We haven’t been able to do as much defensive work as we’d like, but overall, we’re in pretty good shape.”

Winfield has hit in 11 of the 12 games he has played and is batting .486, with 17 hits in 35 at-bats.

The Angels have scored 29 runs in the three games Parker has been in the lineup.

Angel Notes

Continued discomfort in his pitching shoulder has made left-hander Bob McClure the second pitcher to be sidelined for the start of the season. McClure is aiming for an April 20 return to the bullpen. He was limited to 11 games last season by tendinitis in his left elbow, which was unrelated to his current ailment. . . Right-hander Bert Blyleven will also be sidelined opening day, as he continues to regain strength in his surgically repaired right shoulder. Right-handers Scott Lewis and Joe Grahe are competing for his spot in the rotation. General Manager Mike Port said he will wait until opening day approaches before putting either McClure or Blyleven or both on the disabled list.

Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann is trying to schedule additional B games in Palm Springs to give Blyleven and the other pitchers more work. Although leaving Blyleven in the minor league camp at Mesa had been considered, he accompanied the team to Palm Springs. Manager Doug Rader’s public acknowledgment Wednesday that Blyleven wouldn’t be ready to open the season was not caused by a setback in Blyleven’s recovery. “It’s just (a shortage) of time and him building his arm strength,” Lachemann said.