Vaughn Could Miss Series

First baseman Mo Vaughn was unavailable Thursday night for the second consecutive game, sidelined by a staph infection of the right shin, and it’s possible he could miss the entire Red Sox series this weekend.

Though the shin was still tender and inflamed, Dr. Lewis Yocum, team physician, said Vaughn looked and felt “significantly better” Thursday than he did Tuesday night, when he left Edison Field with a 103.5-degree temperature.

“Any time you have an infection to that degree with a temperature like that, it’s serious,” Yocum said. “Fortunately, we started him on antibiotics right away, and they have been effective.”

Vaughn, who suffered a severely sprained left ankle in the season opener and has had a subpar season (.272, 18 home runs, 64 runs batted in) by his standards, was not at the park Thursday, but Yocum examined him at his Anaheim office.

“I’m not sure how he got the infection,” Yocum said. “He could be out three or four days. There’s no sense in him coming back early with an infection like this. We’re not going to take any chances. We’re going to make sure the infection is under control.”

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After a two-hit game in his 1999 debut Monday night, Jim Edmonds went hitless in his next eight at-bats, but he swore his problems were more above the neck than in his surgically repaired right shoulder, which sidelined him for four months.

“The shoulder is fine,” Edmonds said. “I’m just trying to do too much. I’m still trying to hit that Carl’s Jr. sign [on the right-field scoreboard] and haven’t reached it.”

He didn’t reach it again Thursday night, but he hardly came up short. Edmonds had four hits, as many as the entire Red Sox team, to lead the Angels to an 8-0 victory, their first successive wins since July 9-10. Edmonds had two singles, two doubles, two stolen bases and a run batted in.

“The more I relax and try not to do too much, the better things work out for me,” Edmonds said. “The first few games, I was trying to produce runs, get us on the board. . . . It was like I was trying to hit that first home run.”

Though he hasn’t been able to play the outfield yet because of his shoulder, Edmonds provided an offensive reminder of what the Angels have been missing this season.

“You don’t lose a Gold Glove center fielder who can hit 30 home runs and drive in 90 runs and not miss him,” Manager Terry Collins said. “We know his value, and he has been missed.”

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Though the Red Sox haven’t folded as abruptly as the Angels since the All-Star break, they are definitely slipping in the wild-card race. Since July 1, Boston is 13-18 and has lost seven games by five runs or more. . . . Angel pitcher Chuck Finley’s strikeout of Jose Offerman in the seventh inning Thursday night marked the 2,075th of his career, moving him past Fernando Valenzuela into 46th place on the all-time list. . . . The Angels’ 8-0 victory was their fifth shutout of the season and first at Edison Field since Sept. 6, 1998. . . . Reliever Mike James, who had reconstructive elbow surgery last season and shoulder surgery over the winter, will make his second rehabilitation appearance for Class-A Lake Elsinore Saturday before joining triple-A Edmonton next week. If all goes well in consecutive appearances on Aug. 15-16, James could be activated soon thereafter. . . . Outfielder Reggie Williams cleared waivers and was sent to Edmonton.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (5-7, 4.90 ERA) vs. RED SOX’S BRET SABERHAGEN

(7-4, 3.21 ERA)

Edison Field, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090)

* Update--Tim Belcher, who has been sidelined since June 27 because of a broken pinky finger on his pitching hand, will start Saturday’s game against Boston, but Collins wouldn’t say if scheduled starter Jack McDowell would be pushed back to Sunday or if Mike Fyhrie would remain as Sunday’s pitcher.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.