Idle Holtz Didn’t Feel Left Out

The Angels played three games in San Francisco this week, two of them decided by one run, and left-handed relief specialist Mike Holtz, in an upset of sorts, did not face Giant slugger Barry Bonds, who is on pace to shatter Mark McGwire’s single-season home run record.

Starter Pat Rapp threw seven strong innings and faced Bonds four times in Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss, and left-hander Scott Schoeneweis struck out Bonds three times in Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss. The Giants blew out the Angels, 10-4, on Thursday, eliminating the need for a left-handed relief specialist.

“I definitely feel I can get him out, but I’m not going to say I’m disappointed I didn’t face him,” Holtz said of Bonds, who hit two homers against the Angels.

“Sometimes when someone is swinging the bat that well you like to test your stuff against him to see how you’d do. But the situation never arose.”

Well, there’s always Shawn Green. Holtz and the Dodger right fielder go way back, to Green’s American League days in Toronto. Holtz has fared pretty well, limiting Green to three hits, one of them a homer, in 12 at-bats.

Holtz and Green matched up three times last weekend at Dodger Stadium, with Green striking out twice and hitting an RBI double. Green, of course, was the focus of Holtz’s preparation going into this weekend’s series.

“He’s an outstanding hitter,” Holtz said. “You’ve got to make good pitches against him.”

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that’s why Tim Salmon, a cleanup batter for most of his nine-year Angel career, has attempted several drag bunts in recent weeks.

Salmon was hitting .215 with nine homers and 23 runs batted in through Thursday and was batting .063 with runners in scoring position. He had not attempted to bunt for a hit in the big leagues before this season and has yet to lay down a successful bunt, but he has been working with third-base coach Ron Roenicke on the technique.

“People always tell me the third baseman is way back, drop a bunt,” Salmon said. “I’ll do anything to get a hit--sometimes a bloop or a bunt can turn things around.”

Though Salmon’s primary job is to supply power, Manager Mike Scioscia has encouraged him to bunt.

“Barry Bonds has done it . . . Johnny Bench was a great bunter,” Scioscia said. “You have to be selective, but when a guy isn’t swinging the bat to his capabilities, it can increase your chances for a hit.”

Set-up man Shigetoshi Hasegawa cleared another hurdle in his return from a slight tear of the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder, throwing seven minutes in the bullpen and seven minutes of live batting practice Friday, mixing some breaking pitches with his fastball.

As long as he doesn’t experience any stiffness today, Hasegawa will throw batting practice Sunday and a simulated game Tuesday or Wednesday in Texas. After two or three simulated games, Hasegawa will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment, which would put him on a course to return to the Angels in late June or early July.

Catcher Bengie Molina, whose minor league rehab stint was delayed because of the death of his grandmother, was scheduled to return from his native Puerto Rico Friday night and work out with the Angels today. He is expected to return to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Sunday, and if he is deemed fully recovered from a strained right hamstring he could be activated by next weekend.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JARROD WASHBURN

(4-4, 4.39 ERA)

vs.

DODGERS’ TERRY ADAMS

(2-2, 4.65 ERA)

Edison Field, 7 p.m.

Radio--KLAC (570), KXTA (1150), XPRS (1090), KWKW (1330).

Update--Washburn has not lost a decision since May 8, when the White Sox beat the Angels, 2-0. Since opening the season with three consecutive losses and a 7.56 ERA, the Angel left-hander has gone 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA in eight starts, giving up 20 earned runs in 53 innings. Adams will make his third career start since moving from the bullpen to the rotation to replace the injured Kevin Brown. The Dodger right-hander allowed only one earned run and had a career-high nine strikeouts, with no walks, in a no-decision against the Angels last Sunday.

Tickets--(714) 663-9000