Howell Injured in Painful Twist : Angels: Third baseman known for his glove work hurts ankle after enjoying spring revival with his bat.

PALM SPRINGS —  If Jack Howell is hurt, it’s the Angels who will feel the pain.

Howell, one of the most adroit third basemen in the major leagues, twisted his left ankle while trying to beat out a roller in the eighth inning of the Angels’ 6-5 loss to the San Diego Padres Wednesday.

It was an especially cruel twist because Howell has been enjoying a fine spring at the plate, an aspect of his game the Angels have been willing to sacrifice in order to keep his sterling glove in the lineup.

“This was one of the better springs I’ve had in the last three years,” Howell said. “Up to this point.”

Team trainers Ned Bergert and Rick Smith said they were not sure Howell’s injury warranted precautionary X-rays. Howell will be re-evaluated today, after the swelling in the ankle subsides.

Howell, who led all major-league third baseman with a .974 fielding percentage last season but hit a feeble .228, took a .333 batting average and a five-game hitting streak into Wednesday’s game. He was hitless in his first four at-bats against left-hander Bruce Hurst and was facing reliever Craig Lefferts in the eighth with Dante Bichette on first and Brian Downing on second.

Howell hit a grounder to the right side that was played by second baseman Joey Cora. In the race to first, Howell flung himself toward the bag, head first. Cora got there about the same time.

“I missed the bag,” Howell said. “I was trying to go around the side because I thought either he was going to tag me or go for the bag, which he ended up doing. I just reached for the bag, and as I reached for it, I missed it.”

Howell was helped off the field and immediately treated with ice packs. As soon as 20 minutes afterward, he felt some improvement, and that gave him cause to hope that his spring has not been completely ruined.

“At first it was real sore,” Howell said. “I had a lot of pain shooting up my leg. By the time I got back in here, the shooting pain was gone. I’ve never had a sprain before. I’ve been healthy and lucky.”

For Manager Doug Rader, Howell’s injury was yet another blot on a day already filled with mistakes and missteps.

“(Lefferts) didn’t cover first base and ended up getting everybody screwed up,” Rader said. “(Howell) has been really doing a good job. That’s why I’m really upset.”

Rader also criticized his players for “not thinking as well as (they) should at the plate and on the field,” and singled out starting pitcher Kirk McCaskill. The right-hander “threw some pitches that were ill-advised, and those kind of pitches put a dark cloud on what he did. He really wasn’t thinking very well.”

Rader said he intended to address his players today to remind them to think before they act.

“We’ve all fallen into the trap of trying to get so much work done and we’ve just zeroed in on work,” Rader said. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t prepare you properly. We’ve been working on throwing a curveball, not when to throw it. Just working physically is not good enough. Three weeks is not enough.

“It’s no big deal. It’ll be resolved. You can’t win unless you think. You have to do the proper thing at the proper time or your chances of winning are greatly reduced.”

The Angels, 6-6 in exhibition play, lost their third consecutive game and fifth in seven meetings with the Padres. McCaskill, who looked sharp in his two previous outings, gave up an run-scoring double to Jack Clark in the third, two more in the fourth on a single, a double and two grounders, and two more in the fifth on a two-run home run by Clark.

That left McCaskill’s earned-run average at a hefty 4.15--but his 1989 spring ERA was an even more bloated 6.49, and he went on to post a 15-10 record and a 2.93 ERA during the regular season.

The Angels came back with two runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Wally Joyner and Brian Downing’s sacrifice fly, but Clark provided what stood up as the game-winning run in the seventh, when he slammed a 2-2 slider from Jim Abbott over the left-field fence and into the street, an estimated 450 feet away.

“He really doesn’t have enough arm strength to throw the slider effectively to right-handed hitters,” Rader said. “When that comes, you’ll see better efficiency. His breaking ball was better and so was his change.”

Abbott said he’d still like to increase his arm strength, but he was otherwise content with his performance Wednesday. He allowed four hits and one run, walked one and struck out two in four official innings.

He actually pitched one more inning, as the teams agreed to play 2 1/2 more innings just to provide an opportunity for more players to get in some work. The statistics from those extra innings won’t count in the players’ spring-training totals.

“There are still things I’m working on, but since my first time out, I’ve come a long way with my off-speed stuff,” Abbott said. “I’ll definitely use the changeup during the season.

“This year, I think it’s necessary and a very, very important pitch to throw. Look what it did for Chuck (Finley) and Frank Viola. You need a third pitch to get over the hump and I hope I’m on my way to that.”

Angel Notes

The Angels scored three in the eighth to pull within a run on a single, two walks, a sacrifice fly by Dan Grunhard and singles by Brian Downing and Dante Bichette, but Craig Lefferts ended the inning by getting Jack Howell to ground out and Ron Tingley to strike out. . . . The Padres also won the brief mini-game, 1-0. Jim Abbott, Greg Minton and Mark Eichhorn each threw one inning. . . . Bill Lachemann, manager of the Angels’ Palm Springs affiliate, served as umpire in the mini-game. He was impartial enough to call Bichette out on strikes.

Bert Blyleven, who joked that he was named the team’s Opening Day pitcher because “They did it by beauty,” was more serious Wednesday when he said he considers the assignment an honor and a responsibility. “This is the best starting staff I’ve played with,” he said. “Hopefully, with me starting I’ll get us on the right track and get us off to a successful season.”. . . Blyleven and two of his sons, 6-year-old Tom and 8-year-old Tim, taped a video that will be shown at the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce’s Welcome Angels luncheon Friday. Like father, like sons: The highlight was when the two youngsters smeared their father with shaving cream, as the elder Blyleven has been known to do to unsuspecting teammates.

Blyleven will start against the Padres’ Eric Show in the series finale today. . . . The pitching matchups for the Freeway Series against the Dodgers: Chuck Finley against Fernando Valenzuela Friday night at Anaheim Stadium, Mark Langston against Mike Morgan and John Wetteland Saturday at Dodger Stadium and Kirk McCaskill and Abbott against Ramon Martinez Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Infielder Kent Anderson (strained rib cartilage) sat out again but has begun throwing. Shortstop Dick Schofield, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list April 1 because of a strained right hamstring, is improving slowly. Manager Doug Rader said he will probably announce cuts today.