Abbott Still Not Getting the Results He Desires

Jim Abbott was happy with the way the ball came out of his hand Sunday, but it was hard to stomach what happened immediately afterward.

Abbott, trying to win a place in the rotation and recover from a 2-18 season, gave up five runs on seven hits in two innings Sunday as the Angels lost to the Chicago Cubs, 7-4, in an exhibition game at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Abbott’s fastball seemed to have a little more life, and his control was good--after walking three in one inning of Wednesday’s intrasquad game, Abbott didn’t walk a batter Sunday--but he left too many pitches up and over the plate, and Mark Grace drilled one of them for a home run.

“I felt decent, but I know the results have to be there,” said Abbott, who is trying to add a sidearm pitch to his repertoire. “My fastball was halfway decent, but I wasn’t setting up hitters. . . . I have to combine better pitches with better location.”

Manager Terry Collins said Abbott might be trying to be too perfect. “I want him to relax,” Collins said. “He has to feel comfortable with what he’s doing before he tries to show everyone else what he can do.”

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Left fielder Garret Anderson had three hits and two RBIs Sunday and is seven for nine in three Cactus League games--is it just a coincidence he’s in the middle of contract negotiations?--and the Angels got solid pitching from Mark Gubicza (one run in two innings), Shad Williams and Darrell May (two scoreless innings each).

But Collins was perturbed that the Angels missed four or five signs on the basepaths, that outfielder Darin Erstad and shortstop Craig Grebeck collided on a popup that Grebeck caught, and that despite giving several players the green light on the basepaths, no one attempted to steal.

“I know it’s spring training, but execution, doing the little things, is what wins games,” Collins said.

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The Angels likely will regain one outfielder today, but they lost another Sunday when center fielder Jim Edmonds strained his left foot while running the bases. Edmonds, who played much of the 1995 season with a broken bone in his left foot, will be out for several days. Tim Salmon, out since Friday because of sore forearms, took batting practice and said he felt well enough to play, but Collins held him out as a precaution. . . . Reliever Todd Van Poppel, who reported to camp Saturday after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in January, was so impressive in a workout that he will pitch in today’s game against Milwaukee. Allen Watson will start, and Fausto Macey, Matt Perisho, Travis Buckley and Pep Harris are also scheduled to pitch. . . . Chuck Finley, who has been slowed by shoulder tendinitis, expects to make his first spring start this weekend. . . . The Angels on Sunday agreed to terms with catcher Chris Turner on a 1997 contract.