Angels Can’t Find Relief for Dickson in 6-2 Loss

Catcher Bengie Molina was never considered a top prospect for the Angels. That has changed.

On Tuesday, Angel pitcher Ramon Ortiz had just tossed ball four, putting Toronto runners on first and second in the fifth inning. He got out of the jam without touching the ball again.

Molina spotted Carlos Delgado wandering off second base. He had been clocking him for a few pitches. Molina whipped a throw to second base.

Inning over.

“I was, ‘What is this,’ ” Ortiz said. “I turned around and Delgado was out. I went, ‘Oh my God, yes.’ ”

Molina merely shrugged when asked about it.

“I had been watching their runners the day before and they were taking big leads,” Molina said. “I watched Delgado that inning and he took a big lead, then a short lead, then a big lead. I put the play on, just in case.”

Have the Angels found a catcher?

Wednesday, Molina nailed Delgado again, throwing him out when he tried to stretch a run-scoring single into a double.

Such things are getting commonplace for Molina.

This was supposed to be Todd Greene’s job . . . two seasons ago. Injuries and a black hole in his swing took him out of the picture.

Greene, Molina and Matt Walbeck competed for the job during spring training. Greene was released and Walbeck has played only two of the first nine games.

“I wasn’t confident about my situation this spring,’ the 25-year old Molina said. “I was just going to play every game like it was the seventh game of the World Series.”

Two things the Angels haven’t done:

Play in a World Series.

Develop a quality catcher.

“This organization has been blessed with a lot of good catching instructors,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Joe Maddon, Bill Lachemann, John McNamara . . . “

Then something must be getting lost in the translation.

The Angels have tried to develop their own catchers (Art Kusnyer?) and they brought in veterans on their last legs (Andy Etchebarren?). Rarely has it worked out.

Buck Rodgers spent six seasons (1962-67) as the Angels’ catcher. Bob Boone had a seven-year run (1982-88).

Molina hardly seemed the answer after signing in 1993. He played well, but had injuries--a broken wrist in 1995 and a pulled hamstring in 1997.

Last August, with the Angels battling more in the clubhouse than on the field, Molina was given a chance. He had respectable numbers, hitting .257 and throwing out eight of 23 base stealers in 31 games before a season-ending hamstring injury.

More importantly, the pitchers loved him.

“He calls an aggressive game,” Troy Percival said. “He’ll call for fastballs inside and off-speed pitches when you’re behind in the count. He’s not afraid. He has been calling a lot of low-run games this season. Pitchers notice that. And there is no hiding that arm.”

Molina has thrown out four of six base runners this season, which doesn’t include picking off Delgado Tuesday and Wednesday. He also blocked so many bounced pitches that Lou Pote might have been spared a single-game wild pitch record.

“He listens to everything and learns,” Scioscia said. “He has been very impressive. There are catchers who throw out a ton of guys, but their teams never win. What good do those one or two outs do you in a seven-run game? The bottom line is you want a guy who helps the team produce.”

The bottom line: Molina might be that guy.