Finley, Angels Enjoy a Rare Scoring Binge

They handed the baseball to Chuck Finley on Monday night, as they have for nearly 14 years, nearly 400 starts, and the gloom lifted a little.

Not a lot. Some. He is only one man, after all, and these are the Angels.

For a few hours, Finley was sharp, again, and the Angels defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 10-5, before 16,165 at Edison Field.

Finley (11-11) won for the sixth time in seven decisions. He is a .500 pitcher for the first time since he was 1-1 on April 19. He did allow his first earned run to the Devil Rays in his 25th career inning against the 1998 expansion club, and overall allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

As former manager Terry Collins watched uncomfortably from the press box, Darin Erstad had three hits and three RBI, Garret Anderson hit a massive two-run homer, and Matt Walbeck started a four-run rally in the second inning with a selfless, two-out bunt hit off Devil Ray starter Wilson Alvarez (9-8).

Collins met for several hours with General Manager Bill Bavasi and personnel director Bob Fontaine regarding the coming personnel changes, and will serve Bavasi as a consultant on those matters.

Collins, who resigned Sept. 3, was invited to scout and coach for the Angels in the Arizona Fall and instructional leagues. Collins accepted, pending possible coaching offers in the coming months.

He said it was strange and difficult to return to the ballpark.

“I don’t think I’ll come to too many more,” Collins said, a decision many fans reached weeks ago.

On the field below were a couple of smiles and high fives, and a four-game losing streak died on the strength of Finley’s wiry left arm and some run support. But, the issues of the preceding months remain raw subjects here, and not only because Collins ambled back in. A baseball source confirmed that the Angels have initiated contact with former Milwaukee Brewer manager Phil Garner, and so that process began as well.

“It’s fixable,” veteran pitcher Tim Belcher said in the hours after his season ended because of what could be a serious elbow injury. “But, there’s been threats of major house cleanings, and I don’t blame them, honestly. They’re probably stuck with me.”

Belcher laughed a little. Not a lot. Some. It is a rare sound in a very tense clubhouse.

“I hope I’m back, because I want a redeemer [season],” he said. “I want a redeemer personally and as a team, and for the fans. Anybody in here who doesn’t feel ashamed, very disappointed, all of those things, they’re in it for all the wrong reasons.”

“You know the whole sad story,” Belcher said as he leaned wearily on the back of his chair. “If that hasn’t disappointed, embarrassed everybody in this room, there’s something wrong. If it doesn’t serve as motivation this winter, there is something wrong.”