Collins Juggles Pitchers to Give Finley a Rest

Chuck Finley was not the least bit surprised he leads the American League and ranks third in all of baseball in pitches thrown with 3,680, an average of 111 a start. And the Angel left-hander has a good idea why his pitch counts are so high.

“It comes from not knowing what the heck you’re doing,” Finley said, “and trying to figure it out along the way.”

Some have looked at Finley’s September results--a 1-3 record, 18 earned runs given up on 31 hits in 24 2/3 innings for a 6.57 ERA--and speculated the team’s ace is exhausted.

After throwing 147 pitches during an eight-inning, three-hit, shutout effort in a 3-0 victory over Kansas City on Sept. 6, Finley was ripped for eight runs on 10 hits in an 8-3 loss to Baltimore Sept. 11 and gave up five runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 5-3 loss to Texas last Wednesday.

Manager Terry Collins was so concerned he flip-flopped Finley and Steve Sparks for this series, starting Sparks on Monday night on three days rest and giving Finley an extra day before tonight’s start against the Rangers.

Will five days between starts, rather than the usual four, help Finley? “I have no idea,” he said. “I’ll let you know [tonight].”

As for the physical condition of his left arm, Finley said he’s affected “by the normal wear and tear everyone has this time of year. Everyone’s pretty much the same.”

The problem for left-handers facing the Rangers is their left-handed hitters--Rusty Greer (.335) and Clark (.333) hit left-handers so well, so it doesn’t often pay off to pitch around Juan Gonzalez to get to them. “I just have to quit making bad pitches,” Finley said. “It’s not that my approach toward Texas has been bad, I’ve just made bad pitches. I’m just lucky I have a chance to pitch in another game that means something. You don’t always get that chance.”

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Collins didn’t have any special pregame meeting Monday night, but he did make a point during batting practice to meet individually with many players to make sure they were in the right frame of mind. “We’re going to continue to make sure guys are loose, relaxed, having fun, playing hard, making pitches, just like they did the last two nights,” Collins said. “You can’t get caught up in all the pressure.”

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Collins’ decision to start Darin Erstad at first base Monday night essentially boiled down to this: It’s now or never.

“At this particular time, I need him in the lineup,” Collins said of Erstad, who is suffering from a strained left hamstring. “He may get hurt, and if something happens, we’ll make the adjustment. But if I don’t play him now, I may not need him again until next March.”

Erstad held up fairly well, making a diving catch in the first inning but going 0 for 3 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

Tonight

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (11-8, 3.44 ERA) vs. RANGERS’ RICK HELLING (19-7, 4.54 ERA)

Edison Field, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West.

Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090), KIK-FM (94.3)

* Update--Helling will make his second attempt to become the third 20-game winner in Ranger history. His first was thwarted by the Angels, who rocked the right-hander for six runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings Thursday night in a game the Rangers came back to win, 7-6. The key for the Angels is to lay off Helling’s high fastballs that often reach the plate just above the strike zone. . . . The Angels announced Monday they have moved their double-A affiliate from Midland (Texas) of the Texas League to Erie (Pa.) of the Eastern League. They have a two-year working agreement with Erie.