Four-Man Rotation Is Set Up

The Angels will go to a four-man rotation after the All-Star break. They optioned pitcher Matt Perisho to triple-A Vancouver after Sunday’s game so the left-hander could make three minor league starts before returning for the Angels’ doubleheader in Cleveland on July 28.

Darrell May, a left-hander who went 7-5 with a 3.26 earned-run average at Vancouver and has experience as a reliever and starter, was recalled and will join the Angels in Oakland on Thursday.

“I think we have the guys to do it,” Manager Terry Collins said of the new rotation, which will consist of Chuck Finley, Jason Dickson, Allen Watson and Dennis Springer. “We’ll go with it until fatigue sets in or we think we need a fifth guy.

“Jason’s elbow is a concern, but I think the more you get them out there the better they are. And these are our main guys. The more they start, the better chance we’ll have to win.”

Dickson has had a touch of tendinitis in his elbow, but Collins said he hasn’t been as effective in starts when he gets an extra day of rest. Finley pitched well on three days’ rest against Colorado last Tuesday, and Watson pitched well on three days’ rest against Baltimore on May 7. Springer is a knuckleball pitcher who should not be affected by a four-man rotation.

“Finishing games or going late into games might be harder, and we may have to use our bullpen more,” Watson said. “But I don’t mind. I have better control when I go on three days’ rest.”

Said Finley: “It suits me fine, I have no problem with it. My arm feels better on the fourth day. It will be great if we all hold up, but if one guy falls off the saddle, we’ll have to go back to a five-man.”

*

Angel President Tony Tavares liked the view from his Anaheim Stadium box during the home stand--plenty of filled seats for five games against the Dodgers and Mariners--but the accompanying soundtrack was irritating.

First, it appeared Dodger fans outnumbered Angel fans for the Dodgers’ two-game sweep Wednesday and Thursday, and then Seattle center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. got one of the evening’s loudest ovations after his two-run home run Saturday night.

“That was awful,” Tavares said. “It’s never been this bad in hockey, even when [the Mighty Ducks] play the Kings. If [Angel catcher] Jim Leyritz hit a home run in Seattle, you’d be able to hear a pin drop. . . . It’s a little disheartening.”

Collins didn’t attach any extra significance to the Dodgers’ four-game sweep of the Angels in their interleague series, but Tavares, who wants to gain more of a stronghold in the Orange County market, said the Angels lost a chance to cut into the Dodgers’ popularity.

“It’s different for us in the front office,” Tavares said. “Until we win consistently and establish ourselves as a credible team, we’ll continue to have the kind of crowds we have. If we could have beat the Dodgers, it wouldn’t have been anything overnight, but it would have established a foundation for what we’re trying to build.”