DiSarcina’s Ire Up After Pitch Hits Him

Bench-clearing brawls are about as common in spring training as complete games by pitchers, but Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina nearly sparked one here Thursday.

A fastball by Kerry Wood drilled DiSarcina in the left forearm in the fifth inning of the Angels’ 5-2 exhibition victory over the Chicago Cubs in HoHoKam Park, and the usually mild-mannered DiSarcina snapped.

Cub catcher Scott Servais and Angel Manager Terry Collins had to restrain DiSarcina, who took several steps toward the mound as both dugouts emptied. No punches were thrown and DiSarcina remained in the game, but he was still a bit shaken afterward.

“A guy throwing 98 mph tends to get a reaction from you,” DiSarcina said. “The same thing happened to me in 1993 when [Baltimore’s] Ben McDonald hit me and broke my thumb.”

Doctors inserted three pins in DiSarcina’s thumb to repair that injury, which ended his season that Aug. 26.

“As soon as I got hit, I had flashbacks of ‘93,” DiSarcina said. “I don’t have any problem getting hit under the waist, but don’t throw under my chin. I thought it was going to hit me in the face.”

DiSarcina said he has been hit by pitches about 40 times “and this is the first time I’ve ever said anything after being hit.” He was in such a frenzy that he can’t even recall what he said.

“I have no idea what I said, who I said it to, or who was saying what,” DiSarcina said. “You tend to lose your mind when you get going like that.”

Wood, a 20-year-old right-hander who is not expected to make the team, said he was trying to throw inside, but not that far inside.

“I just tried to throw it too hard,” he said. “It wasn’t intentional.”

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Jack McDowell pitched five scoreless innings against the Cubs, giving up four hits, striking out four--Sammy Sosa twice--and walking none.

McDowell, trying to come back from elbow surgery that ended his 1997 season last May, gave up seven runs on 10 hits in his previous spring start, against the White Sox last Friday. He had given up one run on four hits in his first exhibition start March 8.

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Tim Salmon hit a three-run home run and Dave Hollins had two RBI singles for the Angels. Jim Edmonds added three hits. . . . The Angels put catcher Todd Greene, second baseman Randy Velarde, and reliever Pep Harris on the 15-day disabled list. Harris and Velarde will be eligible to return to action 10 days into the regular season but Greene is expected to be sidelined for at least the first month of play.