BASEBALL : Experience Makes Akerfelds Likely Angel Opening Choice

Manager Marcel Lachemann wouldn’t confirm it, but it appears right-hander Darrel Akerfelds, who joined the Angels last Saturday, will be the team’s opening-day starter against the Milwaukee Brewers next Tuesday in Anaheim.

Lachemann said Akerfelds will remain in Arizona for a minor league start Thursday, meaning his next start, after four days rest, would be next Tuesday. The rest of the team will travel to Orange County after Wednesday’s game against the Padres.

Akerfelds, 5-2 with a 3.77 earned-run average for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1990, has the most major league experience of any potential starter on the Angel replacement staff, having appeared in 125 big league games.

Tony Mack will start Friday night’s Freeway Series opener against the Dodgers in Anaheim.

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Kevin Uhlich, Angel vice president for operations, said 11,000 tickets have been sold for Friday’s game and 17,500 for the season opener.

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KTLA, which canceled two scheduled Angel spring-training telecasts, has not decided whether it will televise regular-season Angel replacement games, but Angel President Richard Brown said he has notified the station that the club will not accept a reduction in rights fees for the 50 games.

“But we would be willing to (move telecasts to later in the season) if that helps them,” Brown said. “We’re still negotiating, but I’m confident we’ll reach an amicable solution.”