Collins Takes Blame for Team That ‘Stinks’

The Angels long ago tumbled from the American League West race. Saturday, the non-waiver trading deadline passed, without pitcher Chuck Finley, or any other Angel being sent away.

Players have sniped at Manager Terry Collins, General Manager Bill Bavasi and even each other.

So what is left for a grumbling team that many figured would contend for the division title? A little boot in the rear end?

“We stink,” Collins said after his team lost, 8-0, to the Minnesota Twins Saturday at Edison Field. “We have not played good and that is my fault. This is my team and that is my fault. And tomorrow, you will see a change. I don’t know if we are going to win any more games, but you are going to see some changes.

“There will be no more finger-pointing at anybody. If anyone wants to point a finger, it’s going to come right in here. There is no pressure on us, not one bit of pressure on us. We need to relax and we need to play the game right.”

The Angels didn’t on Saturday.

They had three hits off Twin starter Eric Milton, who entered the game with a 5.30 earned-run average but pitched his first career shutout.

A throwing error by shortstop Gary DiSarcina fueled a five-run seventh inning.

“I’m sickened by it,” Collins said of the Angels’ play. “But it’s my fault. That’s how it got to this point. Something happened and we couldn’t stop it. We’re going to stop it. I got news for you, we may go down, but we’re going to go down working at it. We’re going to go down playing the game hard and we’re going to play it right.”

The Angels couldn’t do the simple things Saturday. Tim Salmon doubled to lead off the second inning, ending a 0-for-24 streak. He went to third on Garret Anderson’s fly out. Troy Glaus and Todd Greene struck out to end the inning.

The Twins scored their first two runs on two-out singles by Terry Steinbach in the first and Chad Allen in the fourth.

It was another listless performance in a season filled with them. It led Collins to suggest there would be lineup changes and a harder line on player complaints.

“Do yourself a favor from now on, do not ask those players to berate another player on this team,” Collins said. “You’re going to waste your time. That’s over with. At the end of the World Series, when they hand out checks, everyone holds their hand out because they are all part of it. So nobody is going to blame anybody else because we’re all a part of this.”

*

Tim Belcher threw 80 pitches in a simulated game Saturday and appears ready to return to the rotation. Belcher, who broke his pinky finger on his right hand on June 26, threw without his pinky finger and ring finger taped together for the first time since the injury.

“I had better stuff and better location today,” said Belcher, who threw four 20-pitch innings. “I’m ready. It’s just a matter of finding a spot to drop me into the rotation.”

That could be Tuesday, when the Angels play the Kansas City Royals. Steve Sparks is scheduled to start today and Jack McDowell on Monday.

Collins probably will use Belcher or Mike Fyhrie Tuesday. Collins’ concern was whether Belcher would get enough rest after his simulated game.

“We have to pick the right spot [for Belcher],” Collins said. “If he says he feels great tomorrow, we may skip his sideline.”

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (4-7, 5.28 ERA)

vs.

TWINS’ JOE MAYS (4-3, 3.77 ERA)

Edison Field, 5

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Sparks, who is a free agent after this season, will spend the next two months trying to earn a job for next year. He has pitched beyond the fifth inning twice in his last seven starts.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.