ANGELS : Stopper Gone, and Setup Men Serving It Up

It’s too early to panic, and too late to reconsider their decision to leave Bryan Harvey off their expansion list, but Angel Manager Buck Rodgers says he can’t help but be apprehensive about his bullpen.

“A bad bullpen can tear your ballclub to pieces sooner than anything,” Rodgers said Saturday after witnessing yet another dismal performance during the Angels’ 9-7 defeat to the San Diego Padres. “And right now, it’s a bad bullpen.”

The Angels’ eight finalists for their five bullpen spots have a 7.53 earned-run average this spring, yielding 42 hits and 62 baserunners in 34 2/3 innings.

“The thing is, they’ve all pitched shoddy,” Rodgers said. “It’s not just one guy.”

Rodgers’ temperament hardly was appeased Saturday, watching the Angels’ bullpen surrender eight runs in the final two innings. The most painful aspect of the game for Rodgers was the performance of rookie reliever Troy Percival.

Percival, who is projected to be the Angels’ bullpen stopper of the future, managed to compile this pitching line: one-third inning, three walks, three hit by pitches, six earned runs, one strikeout.

“There’s a major league arm there, and a major league curve there,” Rodgers said. “Now you need to get major league emotions.”

Said Percival: “I know there’s openings on this staff, but I don’t deserve it if I can’t pitch better than that. I thought I had good stuff, but when you can’t throw the ball over the plate, it doesn’t do you much good.

“I just didn’t have any feeling where it was going.”

Third baseman Gary Gaetti sat down with Percival and told him to use his performance as a learning experience. Rodgers says he will speak with Percival today.

“I always wait a day so I don’t get too hot and say something I shouldn’t,” Rodgers said.

The Angel bullpen statistics: Chuck Crim, 8.31 ERA; Tim Fortugno, 15.75 ERA; Steve Frey, 0.00 ERA; Joe Grahe, 9.00; Scott Lewis, 2.57 ERA; Gene Nelson, 0.00 ERA; Jerry Nielsen, 6.75 ERA, and Troy Percival, 21.60.

“Losing Bryan Harvey is a big loss, if you ask me,” starter Mark Langston said. “He’s one of the best in the game. Obviously, we have to have someone who can step into that role, and hopefully Joe Grahe is ready. I think he can do it.”

Langston took a huge step toward becoming the opening day starter by yielding two singles in four shutout innings. Langston, who along with Roger Clemens and Frank Viola are the only active pitchers who have pitched at least 223 innings each of the last seven seasons, has a 1.00 ERA in nine innings this spring.

“It’d be a special honor, but I’m sure whoever they give it to will be capable,” said Langston, who was last year’s opening day starter.

Chuck Finley, who has pitched five shutout innings this spring, is the only other strong candidate.

Langston, after left fielder Luis Polonia’s leaping catch of Bob Geren’s line drive during the third inning, told Polonia, “I take back everything I’ve ever said about you.’ ”. . . Angel catchers were batting .037 before John Orton, Ron Tingley and Greg Myers went two for three with three runs batted in. . . . Tingley suffered a bruised hand when it hit the batting helmet of Guillermo Velasquez as he threw out a runner.