Hasegawa a Model of Durability

It almost seems as if Angel reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa could pitch two innings a day for the rest of his life. The Japanese right-hander has never had arm problems in his four-year Angel career.

Of his 44 appearances this season, 19 have lasted two innings or more. Twice this season, he has pitched on three consecutive days.

“But he’s not as rubber-armed as you think,” Angel closer Troy Percival said. “He goes out there when he should have a day off and finds a way to get it done. No matter how he feels, he hits his spots. He’s one of the most mentally tough guys I’ve ever seen.”

This may be the biggest reason Hasegawa has been the Angels’ most valuable pitcher this season. He is 7-2 with a 3.88 earned-run average and Saturday extended his scoreless streak to 19 1/3 innings over his last 11 appearances.

Hasegawa’s scoreless eighth set up Percival’s 25th save, and his scoreless seventh and eighth innings in Friday night’s 10-7 Angel victory set up Percival’s 24th save.

Excluding a six-run, seven-hit outing in a blowout victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on April 18, when Manager Mike Scioscia left the reliever in to get some work in a 16-10 victory, his ERA would be 3.08.

“He’s been a big reason why we’re still on solid ground despite going through 11 starting pitchers,” Scioscia said. “He’s been able to get us to Percy virtually every time he’s needed to.”

After going 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA and five saves in 1998, Hasegawa struggled often in 1999, going 4-6 with a 4.91 ERA. But he has had excellent command of his fastball, which has topped out at 93 mph, and has kept his breaking balls down in the strike zone this season.

Most important, Hasegawa quickly recognizes what is working best for him on certain days, and he has learned how to be effective on the days he doesn’t have his best stuff.

“If I’m tired, I can pitch at 80% with control,” Hasegawa said. “And if I’m feeling well, I can pitch 120%.”

*

White Sox slugger Frank Thomas was not happy with home plate umpire Dale Scott’s strike zone Saturday, and Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko was so infuriated by a called third strike in the ninth inning that he was ejected for arguing.

“We had some good opportunities, and then the strike zone would expand,” Thomas said. “No one [on our team] is doing a good job, but other people are dictating what happens, and that’s not right.”

Thomas took a strike from Hasegawa in the eighth, “and I couldn’t believe how low that pitch was,” he said. “It was a joke. I’ve never seen so many guys complaining. You hate to see a team, one through nine, argue the strike zone all day. Scott’s a very good ump, but maybe he just had a bad day.”

*

With Monday’s nonwaiver trade deadline looming, the Angels are still trying to upgrade their bench with a right-handed hitter. Among the possibilities are Ron Gant of the Philadelphia Phillies, Chad Curtis of the Texas Rangers and Jeff Conine of the Baltimore Orioles, but if those teams are asking for one of the Angels’ young starting pitchers, it’s doubtful a deal will be made. . . . Kent Mercker, who was to begin his minor-league rehabilitation assignment for Class-A Lake Elsinore on Saturday night at Stockton, had his first appearance tentatively pushed back to Monday night at Modesto. The Angels wanted to give him extra rest after a vigorous bullpen workout Friday. . . . Four of the Angels’ last six games have been decided by 6-5 scores, with the Angels winning two.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ SETH ETHERTON

(5-1, 4.76 ERA)

vs.

WHITE SOX’S JIM PARQUE

(9-4, 3.95 ERA)

Edison Field, 5 p.m.

TV--ESPN Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090)

* Update--If form holds tonight, Etherton will win a decision over Parque, and Angel third baseman Troy Glaus will hit a home run. Etherton, a former USC star, and Parque, a former UCLA star, matched up against each other twice in college, during their sophomore and junior seasons. Etherton and the Trojans beat Parque and the Bruins, 5-4, on May 11, 1996, and 11-2 on April 26, 1997. Glaus, a Bruin shortstop, homered in both games. After dazzling the Angels in his first eight major league starts, Etherton will give them a chance to see how he responds to adversity--the rookie right-hander was knocked around for six runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings of Tuesday night’s 9-6 loss to Texas. Parque has lost his last two starts, his first two-game losing streak of the season, and is 0-4 with a 7.06 ERA in four starts against the Angels during his career.

Tickets--(714) 663-9000.