Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi was emphatic...

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi was emphatic that he was not about to give up the ship, even if it has looked like the Titanic the last few weeks.

The Angels entered Wednesday’s game reeling from consecutive losses to the first-place Texas Rangers.

“We’re taking on a little water, but we’re not bailing yet,” Bavasi said.

The Angels have scored more than four runs in only four of their last 33 games before Wednesday. Bavasi has been looking high and low in the last two weeks, trying to pick up some offense from other teams.

“I was talking to everybody, but it has dwindled to a few realistic prospects,” Bavasi said. “We weren’t talking about pitching.”

Bavasi said he was not close to any deal.

One problem is finding something to offer in return. The Angels have several “untouchable” minor league prospects and there are precious few healthy bodies laying around Anaheim that would interest a general manager.

“We would have to be really creative,” Bavasi said. “We don’t have a lot of excess right now. I’m not willing to break up the core of what we got going [in the minor leagues].

“If it gets to be late July, and we have a clear chance to win, then we would start thinking about what a trade would involve.”

By then, the Angels may be unloading major league players, possibly pitcher Chuck Finley, who has expressed his willingness to go elsewhere should the Angels be out of the race.

Finley and Bavasi said they have not talked about the matter yet.

“If Chuck were available, I wouldn’t be getting any sleep right now,” Bavasi said. “We’re still in the race right now. It’s my job to get him help.”

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Darin Erstad ran himself in circles making a catch on Roberto Kelly’s sixth-inning fly ball Tuesday.

Erstad first turned left, then, at the last minute, swung back to his right to make the catch while falling down on the warning track.

“I just don’t have a lot of experience out there,” said Erstad, who has played mostly first base the last two seasons. “But I caught it and, ugly or not, that’s still an out.”

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Jack McDowell will make a rehabilitation start for triple-A Edmonton against New Orleans Monday after throwing a second successful simulated game. He threw 90 pitches over four innings Wednesday.

McDowell will be limited to 90-100 pitches Monday, then will make a second rehab start before being reevaluated.

“If Jack was aggressive in his rehabilitation, I would have nothing against that,” Bavasi said. “We won’t rush him. When he’s ready, he’ll let us know. Whether that is two starts or four starts, I don’t know. But Jack is a real tough guy, as tough mentally and physically as anybody I’ve seen. He’ll tell us.”

McDowell, the 1993 American League Cy Young winner, was 5-3 with a 5.09 earned-run average for the Angels last season, but was limited to 14 starts because of elbow problems.

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Troy Glaus sat out Wednesday’s game because of a sore hamstring, an injury that occurred while running out a ground ball against Oakland over the weekend.

“I can give him today, tomorrow and part of Friday to rest,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said.

The Angels are off today before starting a three-game series in Oakland Friday. Glaus is seven for 59 with one run batted in over his last 15 games. Jeff Huson started at third Wednesday.

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The Angels probably will have an opening in the rotation Tuesday or Wednesday, but Bavasi ruled out bringing Ramon Ortiz from double-A Erie. Ortiz is 9-4 with a 2.82 ERA, including a one-hit shutout Tuesday. He probably will be moved to Edmonton in the next week. . . . Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez stole his 16th base in the fourth inning Wednesday. He has allowed only 10 runners to steal off him.