ANGELS REPORT

Mo Vaughn is not motivated by home runs, clutch hits and game-winning RBIs alone. The embarrassment Vaughn felt about his three weak grounders to the right side before his game-tying homer to the opposite field Saturday night was just as much a driving force for the Angel designated hitter.

“That’s not my game, hitting 18-hoppers to the damn second baseman,” Vaughn said. “A grown man hitting a ball like that? That’s terrible! I don’t even want to run to first on balls like that. It’s ridiculous. I get disgusted with myself.”

A big part of Vaughn’s game--driving the ball to left-center field--had been missing for several days before his homer off Arizona’s Andy Benes in the eighth inning of Saturday night’s 4-3 victory.

The power-hitting Vaughn had gone hitless in his previous eight at-bats before the homer, and four of the outs, including a rally killing double play Saturday night, were tappers to the right side, even though Vaughn says he hasn’t been trying to pull the ball.

But it appears Vaughn has ironed out the “mechanical problem” he had, because after his homer off Benes, he lined a single to left-center and blooped a single to left-center in his first two at-bats Sunday night.

“I can usually snap out of a slump with one good swing,” Vaughn said. “Hitting is feeling. When you get that good feeling, it stays with you for a while. It was good to hit that ball over the left-field wall, because now I know I can do it. I’ve just got to maintain it.”

*

After losing five straight games and the American League West race to Texas in the final two weeks of 1998, Angel ace Chuck Finley said if the team wasn’t going to make a serious commitment to winning, it might as well trade him for prospects.

The winter signing of Vaughn for $80 million and pitcher Tim Belcher for $10.2 million restored Finley’s faith in the franchise, but what if the Angels, saddled by numerous injuries to key players, are out of the race come late July?

Would Finley, 35, renounce his rights as a 10-year veteran, five with the same team, to veto a trade and allow the Angels to deal him to a contender?

“I haven’t really thought about anything like that yet,” said Finley, who no longer retains the services of an agent. “I’m just trying to help keep us in it. I don’t know if I’d bring that to [General Manager Bill] Bavasi’s attention, because it’s obvious they tried to improve the team. Even though I’m my own agent, I can’t be involved with things like that.”

The next three weeks will be critical for the last-place Angels, who are 7 1/2 games out. After three games in Toronto and New York this week, the Angels play 15 straight games against West division teams.

“We’re either going to get back in it,” Finley said, “or we’re gonna get out of it.”

*

Manager Terry Collins is growing weary of the broken record that has become his offense, which has scored four runs or more in only two of the last 19 games and has totaled 13 runs in the last six games. The Angels rank 12th in the league in batting (.259), 13th in runs (272) and are hitting .244 with runners in scoring position.

“We have to start helping our pitchers,” Collins said. “There’s not much else to say. The pitchers can’t make mistakes. They’re keeping us in almost every game, but we have to give them something to work with. Opportunities have been few and far between. We have to start getting some people on base . . . and some two-out hits.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--Toronto Blue Jays, three games.

* Site--SkyDome, Toronto.

* Today--4 p.m.

* Record vs. Blue Jays--3-4.

* TV--Channel 9 today and Thursday.

* Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090), AM-1540.

* Records--Angels 29-33, Blue Jays 28-36.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ TIM BELCHER (4-5, 6.57 ERA)

vs.

BLUE JAYS’ DAVID WELLS (6-5, 5.57 ERA)

* Update--Todd Greene believes he is physically able to catch at least three times a week, but Collins is still hesitant to push Greene’s surgically repaired right shoulder too much behind the plate. So even though outfielder Matt Luke was recalled from triple-A Edmonton Saturday night, Greene will get the majority of playing time in right field. “We have to make sure we don’t overdo it with Todd,” Collins said. Shortstop Gary DiSarcina’s imminent return means Andy Sheets will go from starter to utility player, but Collins said current utility infielder Jeff Huson’s big league roster spot is secure.

* Wednesday, 4 p.m.--Steve Sparks (2-5, 5.49) vs. Joey Hamilton (0-4, 11.32).

* Thursday, 4 p.m.--Ken Hill (3-5, 4.87) vs. Kelvim Escobar (5-4, 5.59).