BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : Abbott Gets Rid of the 0

Second baseman Randy Velarde, suffering from severe infections in both ears, sat out his second consecutive game Thursday, and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the team’s flight home Thursday afternoon.

“The doctor said flying might actually be good because if my ears burst it would relieve the pressure,” Velarde said. “But I’m thinking, busted eardrum? That doesn’t sound good, does it? Is this going to be a problem?”

Angel athletic trainer Ned Bergert assured Velarde it wouldn’t be his eardrums that would pop. “By ‘burst,’ all we mean is that the pressure in his ears would become equalized,” Bergert said.