A Hot Corner for Baserunners Too

A wild dash caused a terrific traffic jam at third base in the second inning Sunday.

The Angels had the bases loaded when Darin Erstad hit a ball to the wall in left-center field. Gary DiSarcina, who was on first, took off with the hit and was on the heels of Justin Baughman, who was on second.

Third base coach Larry Bowa waved Baughman home, but seemed to try to hold up DiSarcina. But as Bowa moved to his right and raised his arms, he nearly collided with third base umpire Larry Young.

DiSarcina nearly bumped into Young as well, but kept on going and scored.

“There was no way I could have stopped Gary,” Bowa said. “I just wanted to stop Darin at second. He’s so fast.”

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Pitcher Allen Watson was sharp in his second rehabilitation start. He went five shutout innings, giving up three hits, walking one and striking out six for Class-A Lake Elsinore on Sunday. He struck out the side in the fourth.

Watson, on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his left elbow, was scheduled to go four innings or 75 pitches. He threw 57 pitches, 35 for strikes. He will make at least one more rehabilitation start.

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Tim Salmon, limited to designated hitter because of a partially torn ligament in his left foot, will have a cortisone shot after tonight’s game and probably need a day or two to recover.

Salmon’s role will be reduced to pinch-hitter this week anyway, as the Angels are on the road against the Dodgers on Wednesday and Thursday and then the San Diego Padres Friday through Sunday. The designated hitter is not used in interleague games in National League ballparks.

“The foot is starting to bother him quite a bit,” Manager Terry Collins said. “He’s only going to get the one at bat a game, if that, this week, so it will give him time to rest it.”