Seedy Play Bothers Collins

The strain of a spring filled with injuries, mistakes, poor pitching and just plain bad baseball is beginning to show on Manager Terry Collins’ face.

“You know I’m getting frustrated when I reach for the sunflower seeds,” Collins said before Saturday’s exhibition against the Colorado Rockies in Tucson, Ariz. “These are the worst things in the world for you, and I’m about to have some.”

The game hardly eased the pain. Allen Watson gave up seven runs on eight hits, including two homers, his spring ERA jumping to 10.38, and the Angels lost, 11-5, their 11th consecutive spring loss to the Rockies dating to 1994.

Reliever Chuck McElroy was bombed for four runs in the eighth inning. The Angels are now 5-12 this spring and have given up 10 runs or more in eight games.

“Either we start getting it done,” Collins said, “or we find guys who can.”

Watson gave up five runs in the second inning, the first coming when he hung a 1-2 curve to Larry Walker, who ripped it over the right field wall. Watson could have escaped the inning with only three runs but gave up a two-out, two-run single to Quinton McCracken.

“That was a bad pitch to Walker,” Watson said. “He couldn’t hit my fastball and I threw him a curve. I should have went with a hard slider . . . it’s hard to get pumped for spring training, but I’ve got to motivate myself better the rest of the way.”

McElroy has a sore arm and will take a few days off in an attempt to build some strength. “It’s a dead arm,” he said. “I get it every spring.”

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Utility player Chris Turner slightly sprained his left wrist when he dived for McCracken’s looping single in the fifth inning. He’ll be sidelined a few days. . . . Pep Harris pitched two hitless innings of relief Saturday, and Mike Holtz retired the side in order after replacing McElroy in the eighth. . . . Collins said he will continue to have pitchers take batting practice despite Saturday’s incident, in which Chuck Finley was struck in the face by an errant bat. Pitchers for some American League teams have been refrained from batting practice for fear of injuries. . . . With Finley’s injury, nine projected front-line players--Mark Gubicza (sore shoulder), Holtz (sore shoulder), Troy Percival (back spasms), Jim Edmonds (sprained foot), Darin Erstad (bruised hand), Dave Hollins (infection on toe), Tim Salmon (sore forearms) and Randy Velarde (strained forearm)--have been hurt this spring. “Some of us are still standing,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said, “knock on wood.”