It’s Elementary for Watson: He’s Shelled

Pitcher Allen Watson has not had one good Cactus League start. He was rocked for eight runs on 11 hits in Tuesday’s 16-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, his earned-run average is a bloated 12.18, and his attitude toward it all is: What, me worry?

“If things are going like this in the fourth game of the season, I’ll be concerned,” Watson said. “But I’m not walking four or five guys or giving up a bunch of home runs. My velocity is there, and I’m getting three pitches over. . . . I’m not a guy who’s going to lose confidence because of this.”

Neither is Manager Terry Collins . . . yet.

“I’m not concerned. Why should I be?” Collins said. “This guy pitched pretty well last year, didn’t he? I’ll be concerned if he doesn’t start pitching well next week.”

Watson gave up seven runs on eight hits in a second-inning barrage that could have been prevented had left fielder Orlando Palmeiro not lost Mark Lewis’ fly ball in the sun. His worst mistake was an 0-2 fastball that Jeff Kent drilled for a home run.

*

Collins yanked Palmeiro from the game an inning after his miscue, but losing the ball in the sun wasn’t the outfielder’s biggest crime. Collins was fuming because Palmeiro’s Oakley sunglasses were on the bill of his cap--and not on his eyes--when he lost track of the ball.

Oakley pays players endorsement fees to wear its sunglasses, but Collins may require the Angels to wear the old-fashioned flip-down shades in bright sunshine.

“It’s not a big issue, but I was very upset,” he said. “The whole game changed after that play.”

*

Reserve outfielder Kevin Bass, who missed about two weeks of spring training because of an Achilles’ tendon injury, was returned to minor league camp Tuesday. Bass, 38, who did not play professionally last season, probably will open the season at triple-A Vancouver. . . . Reliever Todd Van Poppel, who had back surgery in January, failed to retire a batter in the fifth inning, giving up six runs on four hits, and it appears doubtful he’ll start the season with the Angels.