Manager Sees No Limits on Glaus Potential for Power

Troy Glaus’ game-winning home run against Dodger closer Jeff Shaw last Sunday came on one of his prettiest swings of the year, a smooth, almost effortless stroke that resulted in a towering drive over the right-center field wall.

In his next four games, the Angel third baseman had two hits and no runs batted in in 17 at-bats, including a 0-for-11 skid entering Saturday night’s game against the Mariners. He was five for 48 in 13 games from June 8 to Friday, his average falling from .290 to .256.

“He’s been trying to do too much with certain pitches,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “That’s usually what happens when he goes into one of his downswings. With runners in scoring position, you’re not going to get the same pitches you would when there’s no one on base.”

Glaus doesn’t try to hit to the opposite field. But when he’s locked in, Glaus will hit plenty of balls to right and right-center.

“Troy has a natural home run swing, and in time he will accentuate that swing to use the whole field better,” Scioscia said. “But you know what? Troy is 24 years old. Some of these guys, like [Sammy] Sosa and [Mark] McGwire, weren’t close to where Troy is at that age. Troy is not a finished product.”

As good as the Mariners have been this season, they have been susceptible to left-handed pitching--they are 10-9 against left-handed starters, including an 8-1 loss Friday night to Angel pitcher Jarrod Washburn, who limited Seattle to one run on five hits in 7 2/3 innings.

But that doesn’t help fellow Angel left-hander Scott Schoeneweis.

“We can’t be any more opposite,” Schoeneweis said, comparing himself to Washburn. “I pitch down in the zone; he pitches up. I’m a ground-ball pitcher; he’s a fly-ball pitcher. It’s kind of a bummer, really, for both of us, because I can’t get a read off him, and he can’t get a read off me.”

TODAY

ANGELS’

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS

(6-5, 4.06 ERA)

vs.

MARINERS’

PAUL ABBOTT

(6-2, 4.58 ERA)

Safeco Field, Seattle, 1:30

TV--Channel 9.

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

Update--Abbott has won his last four decisions. Mike DiGiovanna