Inside Job for Anderson

If Garret Anderson, as he claims, is not a home run hitter, why is he on pace to hit 38 homers in 1999, an almost obscene figure for a guy whose career high is 16?

Opponents haven’t been pitching Anderson any differently. They’re still feeding him fastballs, breaking balls and off-speed pitches away, throwing an occasional fastball inside for show.

The difference is, some of those supposed brushback pitches haven’t been brushing Anderson back. He is recognizing and turning on tasty offerings much better than he has in the past, pulling the majority of his 11 homers--such as the one he blasted against Baltimore’s Sidney Ponson on Wednesday night--over the right-field fence.

“I don’t think I’m getting pitched inside any more--a lot of guys won’t pitch me inside at all,” said Anderson, who is platooning in the cleanup spot with Todd Greene. “They’ve just made a few mistakes, and I’ve taken advantage of them.”

Anderson couldn’t care less how many homers he hits. His priority is driving in runs, and even though he entered Thursday hitting .222 with runners in scoring position, he was second on the team with 29 RBIs.

“They don’t pay me to hit home runs,” Anderson said. “Driving in runs makes me happy. You can’t really explain [the homers]. It’s just something that happens.”

*

X-rays on shortstop Gary DiSarcina’s left forearm Thursday showed the bone is healing properly, but DiSarcina didn’t feel a need to wait around the doctor’s office for results.

“It’s been eight weeks [since surgery to place a metal rod in the arm],” DiSarcina said. “I feel like I’m healed.”

DiSarcina hit live batting-practice pitching for the first time Tuesday and Wednesday, and the next step will be to hit more firm pitching or off an Angel reliever who needs some extra work and can throw him fastballs, sliders and sinkers.

“That will be a good gauge on when I can make the next step,” DiSarcina said, alluding to a minor league rehabilitation assignment. “I’ve got to do something to simulate game speed.”

DiSarcina took a day off from hitting Thursday, not because he felt pain in the arm but because his feet, hands and midsection were sore.

“It’s all the spring-training symptoms,” he said. “But I’ll take this soreness over the soreness of my [butt] from sitting on the bench. I’ve picked out enough splinters to have enough firewood for the winter.”

*

It’s doubtful the Angels will consider any trades until June, when they have an idea if cleanup batter Tim Salmon will return from a sprained left wrist and if Mo Vaughn can play first base every day, but they have called the Cincinnati Reds to inquire about first baseman Hal Morris, a career .306 hitter who is backing up hot-hitting Sean Casey this season.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Kansas City Royals, three games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports West Saturday night.

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

* Records--Angels 22-25, Royals 22-23.

* Record vs. Royals--1-1.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (3-4, 4.45 ERA)

vs.

ROYALS’ KEVIN APPIER (5-2, 4.00 ERA)

* Update--Pitching and defense may not be enough for the injury-ravaged Angels to win the American League West, but it has prevented them from getting buried by the other three teams in the division. Before Thursday night, the Angels had the league’s second-best team earned-run average (4.39) and were tied for the best fielding percentage (.985) with Detroit. The small-market Royals have been playing well above their heads, with a 4.45 ERA that ranks third in the league and a .284 team batting average, which ranks fifth. They’re on pace to score more than 900 runs; they haven’t scored more than 750 runs since 1982.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Steve Sparks (1-4, 6.04) vs. Chris Fussell (0-2, 6.35).

* Sunday, 5 p.m.--Omar Olivares (5-3, 3.02) vs. Jose Rosado (3-3, 2.33).