A Little Rain Never Hurts

The Angels’ game against the Kansas City Royals was rained out Sunday, and all things considered, the Angels will take it.

“It’s not like this is stopping any momentum,” Manager Terry Collins said.

Indeed, the Angels, who will make up the game as part of a doubleheader in Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium on Sept. 14, welcomed the break. At least it spared them from another possible loss.

A team that many picked to win the American League West has lost six of its last seven games going into tonight’s four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Anaheim Stadium, and though it’s still early and they haven’t fallen far off the pace in an underachieving division, there is some reason for concern.

“We need to take a day, take a deep breath, and get after it starting [tonight],” Collins said. “We have a good team, and we haven’t played well, that’s no secret.

“There are no excuses. We’re better than this. We’ve got to run the bases hard, have a game plan at the plate and on the mound and stay aggressive. We’ll be fine, but it’s time to get it going.”

The Angels have experienced breakdowns in virtually all areas. Starting pitchers Chuck Finley, Tim Belcher and Steve Sparks have earned run averages of 6.75 or above. Take away Troy Percival and Mark Petkovsek, and the bullpen has combined for 23 walks, compared to 29 strikeouts.

The Angels rank third in the league in batting average and runs, but they never seem to score much in the games they pitch well, and they’re batting .262 with runners in scoring position, .174 during their 1-4 road trip through Toronto and Kansas City.

Their struggles seem to have put a dent in their confidence, too.

“We’ve got to get that killer instinct, where we smell blood and go after teams,” Darin Erstad said. “Sometimes, I don’t think that’s there.”

Lucky for the last-place Angels, who trail Texas by 3 1/2 games, no team in the West has gotten off to a hot start.

“We’re fortunate to be in a division where no one is playing well,” said Finley, whose start Sunday was pushed back to tonight. “Baltimore isn’t playing well and they have to be concerned, because they’re in a division that can put you out of sight real quick.

“We should be getting to the point where we’re starting to play consistently. Everyone in this room knows we’re not playing up to our capabilities. It’s not like you have to tap someone on the shoulder and say, ‘Hey, I’ll tell you a secret.’ We have the talent. It’s up to us.”

*

The season is a mere three weeks old, and already there have been three bench-clearing brawls, between the Angels and Mariners, Red Sox and Indians and Giants and Diamondbacks.

Though there are no written rules, it appears players who charge the mound, such as Todd Greene of the Angels and Charlie Hayes of the Giants, receive a minimum three-game suspension.

That came as a shock to Angel first baseman Mo Vaughn. “A three-game suspension for charging the mound?” Vaughn said. “Are you kidding me?”

The suspensions are supposed to act as a deterrent, but Vaughn doesn’t need one. He has never charged a mound, and he has no intention to.

“I don’t believe in charging the mound,” he said. “I’d just rather take my base, and in my next at-bat, hit one out of the park and just stand there. Charging the mound doesn’t do anything. I’d rather call the pitcher in his hotel room and say, ‘Hey, what’s the problem?’ ”

*

Though it rained for much of the morning in Kansas City and right up to the point when Sunday’s game was called, the rains stopped at about 1 p.m., when the game was scheduled to start, and it still wasn’t raining at 3 p.m. In fact, the sprinklers ran in Kauffman Stadium for about an hour. after the Angels left.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Toronto Blue Jays, four games.

* Site--Edison Field

* Tonight--7

* TV--Fox Sports West tonight and Wednesday; Fox Sports West 2 Thursday.

* Radio--KIK-FM (94.3) tonight and Thursday; KLAC 570 Tuesday and Wednesday.

* Records--Angels 7-11, Blue Jays 12-7.

* Record vs. Blue Jays--0-3

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (1-2, 7.94 ERA)

vs.

BLUE JAYS’ C. CARPENTER (2-1, 1.69 ERA)

* Update--Finley was scheduled to start Sunday in Kansas City, but Collins decided to move his entire rotation back a day this week so the left-hander could start against the Blue Jays tonight. Toronto swept the Angels in a three-game series last week on the strength of its pitching and some spectacular defense, especially by center fielder Jose Cruz and third baseman Tony Fernandez. Shawn Green is hitting .310 with six homers and 13 RBIs, and first baseman Carlos Delgado has four homers and 19 RBIs.

* Tuesday, 7 p.m.--Omar Olivares (2-1, 1.77) vs. Pat Hentgen (0-1, 7.08).

* Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.--Tim Belcher (1-1, 8.53) vs. David Wells (3-1, 3.42).

* Thursday, 7 p.m.--Ken Hill (0-1, 4.76) vs. Roy Halladay (2-0, 0.00).