BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : Grimsley Proves Coleman Wrong

Pitching coach Joe Coleman wanted to give Jason Grimsley one more chance to prove he belonged in the Angels’ starting rotation, but Grimsley made the least of it Monday.

The right-hander lasted only 1 1/3 innings against the Red Sox, giving up three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two.

In his last seven appearances--three starts and four relief--Grimsley has given up 26 earned runs on 24 hits in 11 1/3 innings for a 20.65 earned-run average. He has walked 18 and struck out six in that span.

Though Pep Harris, the most logical on-staff candidate to replace Grimsley, did little to distinguish himself in relief Monday, giving up four runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings, it’s obvious the Angels can’t continue to put Grimsley (5-7) on the mound.

Reliever Greg Gohr, who gave up three runs in two innings Monday night, is another possible rotation candidate, but the Angels could also tap their triple-A team for either Shad Williams or Ryan Hancock until Mark Langston is ready to come off the disabled list next week.

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The Red Sox considered converting Greg Pirkl, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound first baseman, to a relief pitcher. “Maybe he can be our Troy Percival,” Manager Kevin Kennedy said, referring to the Angels’ catcher-turned-closer.

But Pirkl, a former Los Alamitos High School standout whose fastball was clocked in the 93 mph-range in recent bullpen workouts, pulled the plug on the experiment after spending most of Sunday night on the phone with his wife, Haili, in Orange County.

“If I take a year off from hitting and concentrate on pitching and things don’t work out, what am I going to do?” said Pirkl, 26. “I’ve got a third child on the way . . . I don’t want to be out of a job. I had to follow my heart, and I felt I’d be taking a step back by pitching.”

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Catcher Jorge Fabregas’ four RBIs Monday night were a career high. . . . Jim Edmonds’ homer in the first inning was his first home run in Fenway Park. Edmonds has homered in every American League park except Yankee Stadium, where the Angels begin a three-game series tonight. . . . Garret Anderson did not start Monday night’s game because of a sore right knee, but said he should be ready to return tonight against the Yankees. Anderson pinch hit in the eighth inning Monday, flying out to left field.