Greene May Have More Pull

Todd Greene hitting a home run to right-center field, as he did in the fifth inning of the Angels’ 12-1 victory over Oakland Thursday, is about as common a sight as Darin Erstad dogging it to first on a grounder. It just doesn’t happen.

But now that Greene, who has two homers and nine RBIs in nine games this season, has shown an ability to drive the ball the other way, could pitchers come inside on him more often instead of feeding him a steady diet of breaking balls away?

“It’s clear I’m aggressive and like to pull the ball, that’s no secret,” Greene said. “But I don’t think pitchers really care if I hit to right-center field. They probably think it was an accident, but it wasn’t.”

Greene is a free-swinger who often hacks at the first pitch, and his aggressive approach results in many 0-and-2 and 1-and--2 counts, which favor the pitcher.

But if he drove the ball more consistently to the opposite field, turning a perceived weak spot into a strength, pitchers would have to come inside--right where Greene would like them to throw it.

“When he’s swinging good, he’s a gap hitter,” Manager Terry Collins said. “Any time you know you don’t have to pull the ball to be successful, it makes you better.”

Greene said he’s not trying to pull everything. He’s just swinging too early.

“The key for me is letting the ball get deep [in the zone] and staying back,” Greene said. “I’m not letting the ball travel long enough.”

*

There was no foul play in Collins’ mind, because the Angel manager chose not to view a replay of umpire Gary Cederstrom’s controversial seventh-inning call Wednesday night, when he ruled Oakland’s Jason Giambi fouled off a full-count pitch in the dirt that Giambi appeared to miss by at least four inches.

Chuck Finley walked Giambi with his next pitch, and Giambi eventually scored the winning run in a 6-5 victory.

“What am I going to do, come out and bitch and get kicked out of [Thursday’s] game?”’ Collins said. “It ain’t going to change [Wednesday’s] outcome. The one thing I don’t do is hold grudges.”

Cederstrom did watch a replay, and it was pretty clear by his reaction--or lack thereof--that he erred. Asked what he thought of the call, Cederstrom said, “What I think is immaterial. The play happened. There’s not a whole lot we can do about it. I called it foul.”

Angel catcher Charlie O’Brien said Cederstrom told him he heard the ball nick Giambi’s bat. Collins said Cederstrom told him he saw the ball hit the bat. Which one was it?

“You’re using all your senses,” Cederstrom said.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Seattle Mariners, three games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--KCAL Channel 9 tonight, Fox Sports West Friday night, ESPN Sunday night.

* Radio--KLAC 570 tonight and Sunday night, KIK-FM (94.3) Saturday night.

* Records--Angels 5-5, Mariners 4-6

* Record vs. Mariners in 1998--9-3

* Tickets--714-940-2000

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ TIM BELCHER (0-1, 12.27 ERA)

vs.

MARINERS’ JAMIE MOYER (1-1, 9.24 ERA)

* Update--The Angels got a scare Thursday when Randy Velarde, who is batting .372 and has played superb defense at second base, was hit in the back of the left elbow by a Kevin Jarvis pitch in the sixth. Velarde remained at first and scored on Tim Salmon’s grand slam, but he was pulled in favor of Jeff Huson in the bottom of the sixth. Velarde was diagnosed with a bruised elbow and is expected to play tonight. Shortstop Andy Sheets extended his hitting streak to a career-high eight games with a double to lead off the five-run sixth Thursday.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Ken Hill (0-1, 7.56) vs. Freddy Garcia (2-0, 3.65).

* Sunday, 5 p.m.--Steve Sparks (0-2, 7.20) vs. Ken Cloude (0-1, 37.82).