Finley Debut Not Causing Any Concern

There was nothing pretty about Chuck Finley’s Cactus League debut Monday. The Angel left-hander was ripped for five runs--three earned--on five hits in three innings of an 11-10 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

But Finley’s outing was successful in one respect: He backed up home plate three times and lived to tell about it.

“I got out of there without them having to call in the Air-Evac,” Finley said. “No choppers today. No sutures. No plaster of Paris.”

The last time Finley backed up the plate, Aug. 19 against the New York Yankees, he slipped and broke a bone in his left wrist, an injury that ended a 10-game winning streak and Finley’s season and dealt a staggering blow to the Angels’ pennant hopes.

Though his ego might have been bruised Monday, there were no black-and-blue marks on Finley’s body.

“It’s weird. You’ve just got to reacquaint yourself with how to pitch,” said Finley, who has a history of being shelled in spring training debuts. “And it doesn’t come back that quick. When you’re throwing on the side, you’re just hitting spots, you’re not thinking about pitching in situations. You’ve got to train your brain a bit.”

Finley found himself in numerous situations Monday, giving up two runs in the first inning and three in the third, but as is the case with just about any spring training start, there was a bright side.

“If you stay out there long enough you’ll get a feel for it,” he said. “Sure, it would have been nice to go three-up, three-down every inning, but my theory is, you put yourself in some jams early, work yourself through them, and then you see where you’re at. . . .

“I’m just glad I’m past the point where I have to make the team. Otherwise, I might be down here with some Kleenex and tears in my eyes.”

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Troy Glaus hit his second home run in two days Monday, a two-out, pinch-hit smash with the bases empty off Eric Plantenberg to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Justin Baughman then tripled and Frank Bolick doubled home the winning run. Darin Erstad had three hits and Bolick, Baughman, Norberto Martin, Patrick Lennon, Orlando Palmeiro and Gary DiSarcina each had two hits in the Angels’ 18-hit attack.

Reliever Pep Harris had a shaky ninth inning, giving up two runs on three hits and hitting two batters. “His sinker wasn’t there, and he couldn’t throw a breaking ball for a strike,” Manager Terry Collins said. “He’s all out of whack.”

Left fielder Garret Anderson, pitcher Jason Dickson and second baseman Randy Velarde, all suffering shoulder and forearm tendinitis, did not improve much over the weekend, and none will begin throwing again until Wednesday or Thursday. . . . Pitchers Brian Cooper, Darryl Scott, Rob Bonnano and Mo Sanford, infielder Jamie Burke and catcher Ben Molina were reassigned to minor league camp.