BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DiSarcina Decries Team’s Inconsistency

With each losing streak, the questions arise: How does this one rank with the megaslide of 1995? And what do the Angels need to do to break their latest slump?

“The difference I see is that last year when we went through the rut, we wouldn’t reel off six or seven runs,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “We’ve been inconsistent all year this year. The only similarity is guys seem to be pressing, trying to do everything themselves.”

Starting a 22-game stretch against American League West opponents Thursday might have started the Angels on their way to their latest funk, he said.

“We started thinking, ‘We’ve got to do well now,’ ” DiSarcina said. “And when things don’t go well, things can go haywire. We’ve just hit the halfway point. We’ve got a lot of games ahead of us and a lot of time to do it [catch first-place Texas].”

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Manager Marcel Lachemann offered this view of Jim Abbott’s first relief appearance in the major leagues:

“He looked a little better. Jimmy will be back as a starter and he’ll be back winning games. How long it’s going to take I don’t know.”

Abbott pitched a scoreless ninth, walking one in the Angels’ 6-3 loss to Oakland on Friday.