Play of 0-6 Team Frustrates Collins

Manager Terry Collins keeps telling himself these games don’t count, but it’s difficult not to get frustrated with the way the Angels are playing.

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday, the Angels loaded the bases with none out against Oakland reliever Chuck Ricci, who has appeared in only seven major league games during his 10-year professional career.

But Garret Anderson, who entered with a .750 spring average, struck out. Tim Salmon, who homered and doubled Wednesday, struck out. And Chris Pritchett struck out, as the A’s, playing a split-squad game without Mark McGwire or Jose Canseco, held on for an 8-7 victory.

“We did a great job coming back,” said Collins, whose team rallied from a 6-1 fourth-inning deficit, “but we didn’t make the right adjustments at the plate in the ninth.”

The Angels (0-6) also made two errors to aid Oakland’s six-run fourth inning.

Japanese pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa, showing he has plenty to learn about U.S. batters, was rocked for four hits in the inning, including a mammoth homer by Oakland’s Patrick Lennon on a 3-and-0 fastball.

Though only one run in the inning was earned, Hasegawa fell behind almost every batter and did not appear to fool anyone with his breaking pitches.

“He can’t pitch like that,” Collins said. “He has to go strike one, strike two, not ball one, ball two.”

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Finally, some good news on the pitching front: Mark Langston started and threw three scoreless innings Wednesday. “I was really impressed,” Collins said. Reliever Shad Williams also threw two scoreless innings, giving up one hit, and Troy Percival escaped a bases-loaded jam during a scoreless ninth. . . . Mark Gubicza experienced shoulder discomfort after a bullpen workout Tuesday and will skip today’s scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants. Jim Abbott will start and reliever Mike Holtz, slowed by shoulder tendinitis, is scheduled to make his first spring appearance.