Appier Might Be the Answer

The Angels have been looking for a right-handed starter since last winter:

* Steve Ontiveros was supposed to be the answer, but he hasn’t pitched since spring training because of elbow problems.

* Shawn Boskie was in the rotation to start the season but ended up in the bullpen after failing to protect an eight-run lead.

* Scott Sanderson, who will start Saturday after two weeks on the disabled list, gave up 22 hits and 11 runs in 11 1/3 innings before injuring his back.

* Knuckleballer Dennis Springer, who was recalled from triple-A Vancouver and will start Friday, had a 10.38 earned-run average in four relief appearances before heading to the minors.

* And Phil Leftwich, who never made it out of the fifth inning in his two-start shot at a spot in the rotation, passed Springer on his way back to the Great Northwest.

So the Angels are still looking and now, with Mark Langston likely to miss at least 10 starts after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, the search has taken on a new sense of urgency.

And the holy grail of their quest may have been throwing fastballs right under their noses Wednesday night. Kansas City’s Kevin Appier struck out nine and held the Angels to five hits and one run in nine innings.

Appier is probably available because he will become a free agent at the end of the season, he makes $5 million a year and he hasn’t made himself especially popular with the Royals’ front office with his recent criticism of the team’s decision to rebuild with young players.

The answer? Possibly. The question? Will the Walt Disney Co., which takes control of the team next week, be willing to shell out the money?

Appier, 28, may not have his poster plastered in the bedrooms of Little Leaguers’ across America, but he ranks among the league leaders in earned-run average (2.87) and strikeouts (59) and he clearly has the respect of the men who have to try to hit his pitches.

“He’s not on the most marketable team in the league, so maybe he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” said Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds, who beat out a grounder to second in the first inning and lined a single to center in the ninth against Appier Wednesday. “But I think he’s one of the top guys in the league. He definitely deserves more credit than he gets.”

If the Angels don’t get Appier, they would be grateful if the Royals trade him to a National League team. He could help them almost as much by not pitching against them as pitching for them.

Appier has faced the Angels 16 times in his career and has an 8-4 record with an ERA hovering around 3.00 and dropping. He’s won five of his last six decisions against them and last season he was 3-0 in three starts with a 1.80 ERA. Two of those starts were complete games. One was a shutout.

Wednesday night was more of the same. Appier, who had won three in a row and given up one earned run in his last 14 innings, gave up only one hit--Edmonds’ grounder to second--in the first four innings. He struck out five. The Angels sent more than four batters to the plate in only two innings.

“He’s very tough to hit,” Edmonds said. “You have to be ready to hit any of his pitches because he throws them all so well.”