BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : DiSarcina Says He’s No Savior

Shortstop Gary DiSarcina is targeting this weekend’s series at Texas for his return to the starting lineup, but don’t expect him to be the Angels’ savior, the answer to the team’s problems.

“You just don’t sit out for seven weeks, come back and pick up where you left off,” said DiSarcina, who was batting .317 when he tore the ulna ligament in his left thumb Aug. 3. “That’s going to be hard, knowing I won’t be at that level. But I’ve prepared myself mentally for it.”

Because the Angels were 16-27 without DiSarcina entering Tuesday night’s game against Oakland, there is a tendency to correlate his loss to the rash of Angel losses.

“I can understand the reasoning--you take away a Greg Gagne, a Mike Bordick, a Barry Larkin, someone who is consistent, the glue to the infield, and you’ll feel a loss,” DiSarcina said. “But you can’t blame it all on my absence.

“I’m only one of nine guys in the batting order. If this team can’t overcome the No. 9 hitter going down, maybe we’re not as good as we thought we were.”

DiSarcina, who said he’s not quite strong enough to hit in a game situation, got a pinch-running appearance in the ninth inning Tuesday.

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The Angels fared well in Monday’s coin flips to determine home teams should a one-game playoff be necessary to determine the American League West winner or wild-card team, gaining the home field in five of seven possible matchups.

But one scenario would create major travel obstacles: If the Angels and New York Yankees tied for the wild-card berth, the Angels, who close the regular season at home on Sunday, Oct. 1, would have to travel to New York to play the Yankees on Monday, Oct. 2.

And if the Angels won that game, they’d travel all the way back to Anaheim to begin the best-of-five divisional playoff series against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 3.

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The Angel losing streak was at five before Tuesday night’s game, but there have been no clubhouse ceremonies to ward off possible evil spirits. “I don’t believe in voodoo or superstitions,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “You just have to go out and do what you’re supposed to do.” . . . An hour before Tuesday’s game, third baseman Tony Phillips was lying on his back with the lights out in the training room, trying to recover from a severe headache. He missed batting practice but played in the game. . . . Greg Myers suffered a severe bruise on his right shoulder when he was nicked by a foul ball Monday night and was only available to catch on an emergency basis Tuesday.