After a Slow Start in Minors, Holtz Back With Big Club

Don’t be fooled by that 10.80 earned-run average Mike Holtz had in six appearances at triple-A Edmonton in April. The left-handed reliever is glad the Angels weren’t.

A four-figure ERA usually won’t earn you a promotion to the big leagues, but considering that ERA was actually five figures (135.00) after his first appearance, when he gave up five earned runs in one-third of an inning on a cold and windy day in Colorado Springs, Holtz did well to get it down to 10.80.

Holtz, who was called up Saturday to replace struggling right-hander Lou Pote, followed his shoddy start with four scoreless appearances, retiring 12 batters in a row at one point.

His return to the Angel bullpen, coupled with Kent Mercker’s move from the bullpen to the rotation to replace injured starter Jason Dickson, gives the Angel relief corps a different look from the left side.

While Mercker was more of a middle and long reliever, Holtz is more of a specialist, a left-hander who will be called upon to retire one left-handed batter in a key late-inning situation.

This was a job Holtz did remarkably well in his first 1 1/2 seasons in Anaheim, when he went 6-7 with a 2.97 ERA in 96 games from the All-Star break in 1996 through the end of 1997.

But Holtz struggled to find command of his curve and fastball in 1998 and ‘99--that’s not good when you throw only two pitches--and he was demoted to triple A three times the past two seasons.

Now Holtz, whose confidence has wavered along with his fortunes, has another chance to show he belongs in the big leagues.

*

Reliever Eric Weaver made the Seattle Mariners coming out of spring training in 1999 but was demoted to triple A after a month, never to return to the big leagues.

Weaver did not make the Angels this spring despite throwing 7 2/3 Cactus League innings without giving up a run, but he was called up to replace Dickson on the roster Sunday and joined the Angels in Baltimore on Tuesday.

“This year, I want to be the guy who comes up and stays for five months,” said Weaver, 26, in his ninth professional season. “It stinks being in triple A. It’s a good group of guys, the coaching staff is great, but I hope I never see them again.”

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Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina, whose throwing error in the fifth inning allowed the Orioles to score an unearned run Tuesday night, left the game in the sixth because of tightness in his right shoulder. DiSarcina, who sat out several games because of shoulder problems last August, is not expected to be sidelined more than a day or two. . . . Tim Belcher, who was scratched from a rehabilitation start at Edmonton on Sunday, hoped to throw in the bullpen Tuesday, but his workout was pushed back indefinitely because of a sore arm. . . . To make room for Weaver on the 40-man roster, the Angels designated Keith Johnson, a triple-A shortstop, for assignment. . . . Troy Glaus’ steal of second in the fourth inning Tuesday was the Angels’ 25th stolen base in 27 games this season. They did not steal their 25th base until the 68th game in 1999. . . . Darin Erstad’s .449 average in April tied the franchise record for any month, equaling Rod Carew’s .449 mark in April 1983.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

RAMON ORTIZ

(1-2, 5.06 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’

JASON JOHNSON

(0-0, 2.72 ERA)

Camden Yards, Baltimore, 4 p.m. PDT

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

* Update--Despite Ortiz’s struggles and his penchant for letting his emotions get the best of him in tense situations, the young right-hander has given the Angels a chance to win all four games he has started, giving up only two earned runs in three of his four games. Angel catcher Bengie Molina was still weakened by a stomach virus that caused him to lose nine pounds last week, but he felt well enough to play Tuesday night and had a two-run single in the sixth inning.