Another Loss Sorely Tests the Angels’ Faith

Elbows ache, shoulders hurt, forearms throb and Angels fall.

But even as bad news continues to roll in like waves--reliever Mike James suffered the latest in a series of Angel setbacks when he was forced to stop throwing on the side before Wednesday’s game because of discomfort--Manager Terry Collins is sticking with his “I believe” routine.

“Sure, it’s been frustrating,” Collins said of the mounting injuries. “But I still believe these guys are good enough, that we can win with what we have here. We just need to start hitting.”

He’ll have to wait a couple more days for that. The Angels, who are off today before beginning a seven-game road trip in Minnesota on Friday, managed only five hits while losing to Kansas City, 4-0, in front of 17,810 at Edison Field.

The Royals’ Jose Rosado, who was 0-4 with a 5.26 earned-run average coming in, had a perfect game for 4 1/3 innings and went the distance without walking a batter.

Of the Angels’ five hits, one was a gracious ruling by the official scorer on a grounder that was mishandled by second baseman Jose Offerman and another came when Dave Hollins popped up a bunt that fell in front of third baseman Dean Palmer.

No Angel reached third base until there were two out in the ninth inning.

“Rosado pitched great, he did, I liked everything I saw out there,” Collins said. “He moved the ball in and out and kept us off balance.

“He did a nice job. But we’ve got to start swinging the bats.

“I’ve heard players talking about making adjustments, well, make ‘em.

I don’t want to hear about them, I want to see them. I’m tired of talking, I’m done talking. I want to see results.”

But Collins wasn’t quite finished yet.

“You better get out there every night and play like it’s the last game you’ll ever play,” he said. “You better leave it all out there on the field.”

The Angels went meekly back into the clubhouse on this evening, however, and whatthey left behind wasn’t very impressive.

They wasted a solid performance from Omar Olivares, who went seven innings and gave up three earned runs. And the way the Angel pitchers are pitching--and aching--these days, this team can ill afford to squander a quality start.

James, sorely missed by a sagging bullpen since going on the disabled list because of a torn muscle in his right forearm May 5, was supposed to be a few days away from a rehabilitation assignment. He threw for 15 minutes Wednesday and will be reevaluated today.

“The elbow stiffened up,” Collins said, who has to have become somewhat numbed by the deluge of bad medical reports these days. “We’ll see if he can throw again on Friday.”

For the second night in a row, the Angel hitters stiffened up against Royal pitching. Kansas City, which has lost 19 of the last 28 games, has now put together their longest winning streak of the season: three games.

Somebody wondered if the Angels had fallen into the trap of playing down to the competition.

“If you think you’re better than someone else, you will be humbled here,” Collins said. “You don’t see the Yankees having any problem with that.”

The Royals provided Rosado, a left-hander who made the all-star team last year but has been struggling this season, with all the support he would need in the first inning.

Offerman walked, took third when Hollins fielded Hal Morris’ grounder and fired it two rows deep in the seats behind the first-base dugout, and scored on Palmer’s roller to second.

Rosado retired the first 10 Angels in order before Edmonds’ single to right with one out in the fourth and then set down nine more in a row before Tim Salmon reached first on Palmer’s fielding error.

The Royals provided him with a bit of insurance in the sixth. Johnny Damon led off with a single to right and Offerman walked. Morris sacrificed, but was safe at first when Olivares slipped fielding his bunt. Palmer’s two-run single gave the Royals a 3-0 lead.

Olivares escaped further damage when Jeff King forced Morris at home and Jeff Conine hit into a double play.

Morris led off the eighth with a walk and then Palmer doubled to chase Olivares.

Rich DeLucia, who has been ineffective of late, came on and got out of the jam with only one run scoring, on Jermaine Dye’s sacrifice fly to the warning track in right.