ANGELS : Final Tuneup Shows Finley Still Misfiring

To describe his pitching woes this spring, Angel left-hander Chuck Finley compared himself to an automobile engine that needed maintenance.

“I got my tuneup,” he said Wednesday after his final exhibition appearance, a seven-inning, five-run outing that was only marginally better than his previous results. “I got my spark plugs changed, my timing set, my plug wires changed and I’ll be ready to go.”

Finley, who will start against the Seattle Mariners Tuesday in the Angels’ season opener, gave up 11 hits to the San Diego Padres in the Angels’ 5-3 loss at Angels Stadium. He failed to strike out anyone, something that didn’t happen in any of his 32 starts last season, when he ranked seventh in the American League with 177 strikeouts.

The biceps strain that has periodically bothered him didn’t affect him Wednesday, Finley said. He was more bothered by his continuing problems with pitch location.

Finley was victimized by second baseman Luis Sojo’s inability to complete a double play in the Padres’ three-run third inning, but Finley realized he won’t get by with a similar performance next week.

“Strikeouts don’t mean anything. To get to two strikes you’ve got to have good location, and I’m not locating the ball,” said Finley, who ended the spring with a 1-3 record and a 9.00 earned-run average. “I’m tired of this (stuff). This was the worst spring of my life. The sooner it’s over, the better.”

Manager Doug Rader said he saw enough Wednesday to think “he’s getting there (and is) back in action,” but Rader also was glad to leave Palm Springs and move closer to Sunday’s exhibition finale.

“We got everything done we had to get done, but it starts dragging,” said Rader, whose team was 5-7 in Palm Springs and 12-13 overall. “We need to get off hard infields, and we need to get into the season. The guys got stale and tired of this, and I can’t say as I blame them.”

Conspicuous in street clothes amid his uniformed teammates, Joe Grahe walked silently through the Angels’ clubhouse. Not stopping at his own locker, he approached Scott Lewis, ruffling Lewis’ hair and offering a congratulatory handshake for Lewis’ victory in their competition to replace Bert Blyleven as the fifth starting pitcher.

Grahe was optioned to triple-A Edmonton Wednesday, after Rader decided Grahe would develop more quickly by starting for the Trappers than pitching in long relief out of the Angels’ bullpen. Although initially shaken by disappointment, Grahe said he realizes he is likely to benefit later.

“It’s a big thing now, but I’ll probably look back and say I’m glad that perhaps I didn’t curtail my career and become a long reliever at age 23,” said Grahe, who will start an exhibition for Edmonton Sunday. “In two years, I can be a starter for seven or eight years, and that’s what I want to be.”

His rivalry with Lewis contributed toward his Grahe’s maturation this spring. “It was tough,” Grahe said. “I think the season’s going to be a breeze compared to this.”

The move left the Angels with 31 players, including 15 pitchers. However, Blyleven is experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired right shoulder, right-hander Matt Keough has a torn rotator cuff and left-hander Bob McClure has been unable to pitch in exhibition games because of tightness in his pitching shoulder.

The pitching matchups for the Angels’ season-opening series in Seattle will be Finley vs. Erik Hanson on Tuesday, Kirk McCaskill vs. Randy Johnson on Wednesday and Mark Langston vs. Brian Holman on Thursday. Jim Abbott and Lewis will pitch the first two games of the three-game series at Minnesota.

Angel Notes

Luis Polonia was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup because of a tight right hamstring, which isn’t considered serious. . . . Backup catcher John Orton hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning, his second homer of the spring. . . . The Angels will work out tonight at Anaheim Stadium to get used to playing under the lights. . . . The 12-game attendance of 57,399 in Palm Springs was the third-highest in club history.