Hasegawa’s First: Bonds Lines Out

That was not King Kong holding a Louisville Slugger in Scottsdale Stadium. It only seemed that way for Angel pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa, whose knees buckled a bit as he peered into the batter’s box before his first major league exhibition pitch.

Awaiting Hasegawa’s third-inning delivery was Barry Bonds, the $11.5- million man, the San Francisco Giant outfielder who is one of baseball’s most-feared hitters.

Welcome to America.

“I looked at him and thought, ‘My timing is not very good,’ ” Hasegawa said. “It was a big surprise. He has nice power. He’s a problem for me.”

He wasn’t Saturday. Bonds lined out to second base and Hasegawa, the Japanese right-hander, retired the side in order. But Hasegawa left two pitches up in the strike zone and gave up back-to-back doubles to Rick Wilkins and Mark Lewis in the fourth inning of the Angels’ 11-9 loss to the Giants.

Hasegawa is competing for the fifth rotation spot or a bullpen job.

The Angels pounded out 12 hits, including home runs by Garret Anderson and George Arias and doubles by Gary DiSarcina and Fausto Cruz. Lewis had two hits and three RBIs for the Giants.

*

Angel catcher Jim Leyritz sat out Saturday’s game because he cut the tip of his left index finger while cutting a shoelace. Leyritz may be available as a designated hitter for today’s game against the Chicago Cubs in Tempe Diablo Stadium but won’t be able to catch for at least another day or two.

*

J.T. Snow, traded from the Angels to the Giants last November, did not play against his former teammates because he was suffering from a gastrointestinal disorder. . . . Angel right-hander Mark Gubicza will start today against the Cubs. Also scheduled to pitch are Jim Abbott, Shad Williams, Darrell May and Troy Percival. . . . Reliever Todd Van Poppel, who had back surgery to repair a herniated disk in January, arrived in camp Saturday and will begin workouts this week.