Trade Shakes Up Angels, but Finley Steadies Them

Starter Chuck Finley walked into the Angel clubhouse Tuesday afternoon when teammate Bo Jackson spotted him and pulled him aside.

Jackson broke the news to him.

Veteran outfielder Dwight Smith had just been traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later: either minor league shortstop Feliciano Mercedes or minor league catcher Bo Ortiz.

“Uh-oh,” Finley said, “Where’s my luggage? I could be next.”

Finley, realizing that he along with several other veterans could be vulnerable if the Angels don’t turn around their season, decided it was time for drastic measures.

So he pitched a seven-hit shutout in the Angels’ 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. It was Finley’s 10th career shutout, and the first 1-0 shutout by an Angel pitcher in the history of Kauffman Stadium.

“We just needed a win,” Finley said, seething over the Angels’ performance the last few weeks. “I’ve been embarrassed, really embarrassed the way we’ve been playing the last week and a half.

“We’ve been getting our butts pounded so much night after night, and when you know you’re better than that, it just kills you.”

The Angels (27-38) entered the night having lost 12 of their last 15 games. They had given up an average of 6.9 runs a game during the stretch, including 64 runs in the last eight games.

“Everybody’s been in pretty much of a daze with what’s going on,” said Finley, 5-5 with a 4.21 earned-run average. “On the way home (Monday night), I don’t think a word was said. Guys were counting the mile markers.

“I know it doesn’t sit well with that man (Manager Marcel Lachemann) in there. You don’t have to worry about firing somebody if things keep going like they are. He’ll just say it’s nice, I gave it a hell of a try, and walk away.

“The toughest part about the whole thing has just been our lackadaisical play. The nonchalance, the styling, and all that . . . . just the way you accept losing.

“Things just haven’t gone the way I expected things to go. It’s not over. But we’ve got to get things moving.”

Finley never gave the Royals a chance. He allowed only two baserunners to reach third base, and struck out eight batters, including five of the last nine.

“This is one of those games where you go home,” Finley said, “take a half bottle of aspirin, stare at the ceiling and say, ‘I don’t want to do this again.’ ”

The only run the Angels managed off Royal starter Mark Gubicza (4-6) scored courtesy of a couple of errors in the sixth inning. With one out, Spike Owen walked, stole second on a botched hit-and-run, and went to third when catcher Mike Macfarlane’s throw sailed into center field.

Harold Reynolds struck out for the second out. Tim Salmon then hit a soft grounder to shortstop Greg Gagne, who booted the ball, allowing Owen to score.

“(Finley) had it working all night,” Royal Manager Hal McRae said. “It kept appearing to be in the strike zone. It was like, ‘Now you see it, now you don’t.’ ”

It was the kind of pitching performance the Angels desperately need to stay in the American League West race. If there had been a few more showings like these the first two months of the season, the Angels might never have traded Smith.

Yet, when you’re 11 games under .500, there’s no reason to have $700,000 pinch-hitters on your bench.

“The sad thing is if we had been winning,” Reynolds said, “this never would have happened. When a team is losing and struggling the way we have been, you wonder what will happen to the rest of us.

“It’s not a fear, but an unstable feeling.”

So, would the Angels have dared make a trade for a prospect if they even were close to first place?

“I would say it’s quite possible that we wouldn’t make the trade,” Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “If we played at a .500 clip, or if we’re in first place, I’m not sure we’d make any of those moves.”

* TRADED: Angels deal outfielder Dwight Smith to the Baltimore Orioles. C5