BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Lapses, Not Big Inning, Bother Manager

Less than 12 hours after losing a 16-10, 10-inning game Saturday to the White Sox, Manager Marcel Lachemann was more upset with his team’s early defensive and pitching lapses than the six runs reliever Mark Leiter gave up in the 10th inning.

“Actually, Mark pitched well enough in the ninth to earn a save,” Lachemann said. “He came in with runners on first and second, no one out and (Frank) Thomas, (Julio) Franco and (Robin) Ventura coming up and got out of it.”

With the Angels trailing, 10-9, and two out in the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Bo Jackson reached second on Ventura’s throwing error and Greg Myers singled to center to score pinch-runner Harold Reynolds.

The Angels didn’t have much time to celebrate, though. Leiter gave up a double, a single, a triple, another single, and a three-run homer to Franco, before leaving with two out in the 10th.

“Sure, it’s tough to keep chipping away and getting back into it and then lose,” Lachemann said, “but there were some things we did earlier, like not backing up a throw, failing to turn a couple of double plays and walking Tim Raines with two out and no one on (before Thomas’ third-inning homer). Those are just things you can’t do against good teams and still win.”

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What did former general manager Buzzie Bavasi think of Saturday night’s 4 1/2-hour debacle?

“You kept me up pretty late last night,” he told Lachemann, “but I think some of your players were asleep.”

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White Sox first baseman Thomas left because of a bruised middle finger on his left hand after tagging Gary DiSarcina in a sixth inning pickoff. Manager Gene Lamont said he expects Thomas to play today in Oakland.