Hasegawa’s First: Bonds Lines Out

That was not King Kong holding a Louisville Slugger in Scottsdale Stadium Saturday. 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 Giants outfielder who is one of baseball’s most-feared hitters.

“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 and Hasegawa, the 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.

It was a solid-but-not-spectacular U.S. debut for Hasegawa, who is competing for the fifth rotation spot or a bullpen job. He showed a decent breaking ball and gave up only one run, but there wasn’t enough variance in speed on his fastball, curve and slider.

“He’s a good pitcher but he has to change speeds and locate pitches,” Manager Terry Collins said. “If he gets them up in the strike zone he’s going to get hurt, just like everyone else.”

Like Angel left-hander Mark Langston, whose tasty offerings were raked by the Giants Saturday for two triples, two doubles, a single and five runs in two innings, and reliever Chuck McElroy, who gave up three runs on four hits in the eighth, including an RBI double by former Cal State Fullerton standout Dante Powell that broke an 8-8 tie.

The Angels had 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.

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From the we-don’t-make-this-up department: Angel catcher Jim Leyritz sat out Saturday’s game because he cut the tip of his left index finger . . . while cutting a shoelace.

“Yes,” Angel athletic trainer Ned Bergert said, “I’ve seen just about everything now.”

Leyritz might 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.

In the more conventional injury department, Tim Salmon’s sore forearms felt better Saturday, but Collins said he’ll probably give the right fielder another day or two off.

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.