First Base Remains Unsettled

Wally Joyner is batting .182. Scott Spiezio is batting .261 with no runs batted in. Shawn Wooten took a .357 average into Friday night’s game but hasn’t really shined defensively.

Manager Mike Scioscia has shuffled his lineup on a nightly basis, trying to get his first basemen enough at-bats to remain fresh, but one has to wonder if the Angels might get more production out of the position by giving one player the majority of the starts.

“Eventually, that will be answered for us,” Scioscia said. “It’s something we’ll consider, but we want to see how this plays out, because we get a lot of positive matchups.”

Joyner batted .370 in spring training, but his stroke has been sporadic thus far. Spiezio believes he would hit better if he was able to develop some rhythm playing more regularly. Wooten has hit left-handers well, but when he plays, Spiezio stagnates.

“The key for all these guys is to get them as many at-bats as we can so they stay sharp,” Scioscia said. “We want to see if this lineup can be productive. If not, we’ll reach a point where we have to make a decision.”

*

Designated hitter Glenallen Hill’s average sunk to .135 Friday, he had 18 strikeouts and no walks in 52 at-bats, and Scioscia is unfazed. “You’re talking about a guy with (52) at-bats,” Scioscia said.

Of course, that’s 13 more at-bats than Jose Canseco had in spring training when he was released by the Angels.

“Jose was not released because he wasn’t hitting the ball,” Scioscia said. “We just felt Hill would be more productive.”

*

The season is a mere 17 games old and Scioscia has already used six different players in the No. 2 spot, a problematic position for two seasons.

With left-hander John Halama starting for Seattle Friday night, Scioscia moved Benji Gil from ninth to second. Asked if Gil had drawn the short straw to determine who bats second, Scioscia said, “It’s a little more scientific than that . . . we used Popsicle sticks.”

*

Scioscia is in the second year of a two-year contract that includes an option for 2002, but the Angels have not exercised the option or discussed an extension with him. “If I have 100 things on my list, that’s No. 101,” Scioscia said. “The time will come for that.”

TODAY

ANGELS’

JARROD WASHBURN

(0-1, 5.40)

vs.

MARINERS’

JAMIE MOYER

(2-0, 4.76)

Safeco Field, 1

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Seattle leadoff batter Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a first-inning double Friday night. Angel left fielder Garret Anderson has a .471 lifetime average (16 for 34) with three homers and 10 runs batted in against Moyer, the Mariner left-hander. Entering Friday’s game, Seattle had committed a league-low seven errors; the Angels had 13 errors, eighth-most in the league.