Schoeneweis Feels Better

Scott Schoeneweis was in so much pain when his lower back locked up Thursday night he felt as if he was “paralyzed,” but the Angel left-hander improved after several hours of treatment and medication and is confident he’ll be able to make his next start.

“This happened last year in Minnesota before a between-starts workout, and I didn’t miss the next start,” Schoeneweis said after the Angels’ 7-6 victory over the White Sox. “I feel fine now, but you never know . . . this seems to happen about once a year.”

The back spasms struck Schoeneweis while stretching before the game. He never made it to the bullpen mound and could barely walk back to the Angels’ clubhouse.

The injury put a major burden on the Angel bullpen, which threw all 10 innings Thursday night after throwing two innings Wednesday.

To bolster the relief corps for a weekend series in Detroit, the Angels sent infielder Jose Nieves to triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday night and are expected to recall left-hander Mark Lukasiewicz, who is 2-0 with a 0.00 earned-run average in 11 1/3 innings at triple-A, today.

Reserve outfielder Orlando Palmeiro is not known for his power, but his second homer of the season, a 397-foot shot to right-center in the fifth inning Thursday night, gave him as many homers this season as Darin Erstad (one) and Glenallen Hill (one) combined.

“That’s probably as far as I could hit one, I think,” Palmeiro said. “The ball was carrying pretty good in this wind. They were getting out of here quick.”

Hill’s return from a strained left oblique muscle has been delayed by a slight strain of his left hamstring, an injury he suffered while running Wednesday. He hopes to return next week. . . . Leadoff batter David Eckstein, who had three hits Thursday night, has an eight-game hitting streak and has reached base in 27 of the 28 games he has started this season.

ON DECK

Opponent--Detroit Tigers, three games.

Site--Comerica Park, Detroit.

Today--4 p.m. PDT.

TV--None.

Radio--KMPC (1540) and KMXN-FM (94.3) today and Sunday, KLAC (570) and XPRS (1090) on Saturday.

Records--Angels 16-18, Tigers 15-17.

Record vs. Tigers--2-1.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

RAMON ORTIZ

(3-3, 4.54 ERA)

vs.

TIGERS’

STEVE SPARKS

(1-2, 3.12 ERA)

Update--The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of Texas with a 6-5 victory Thursday, and they’ve now won 10 of their last 13 games. First baseman Tony Clark is off to an excellent start, batting .303 with five homers and 21 RBIs, and left fielder Bobby Higginson is batting .281 with four homers and 17 RBIs. Sparks, the Detroit knuckleballer, limited the Angels to two runs on three hits in eight innings in Anaheim on Sunday. Ortiz will try to rebound from a seven-inning, six-run, nine-hit effort against Detroit on Saturday.

Saturday, 10 a.m. PDT--Pat Rapp (1-3, 5.88) vs. Victor Santos (0-0, 0.00).

Sunday, 10 a.m. PDT--Jarrod Washburn (1-4, 5.81) vs. Chris Holt (3-2, 5.40).