Hill Has a Hot Tip to Work On

The buzz among scouts following the Angels is that Ken Hill, the newest member of the rotation, is tipping off his pitches--which is news to Hill.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Hill, who will start today against the Orioles. “I better go back and look at some tape. Nobody has mentioned it to me, so I don’t know. . . . I may have to make an adjustment.”

Hill, who gave up three homers in Monday’s 5-2 loss to Milwaukee, has a 93-mph fastball, but his “out” pitch is a split-finger fastball, which, when working well, looks like a fastball but darts down as it reaches the batter.

If batters identify Hill’s grip or are tipped off, they can lay off the split-finger pitch when they know it’s coming and better time his fastball.

“That’s a concern with any pitcher, because guys are more sophisticated at picking up pitches,” said Marcel Lachemann, Angel pitching coach. “It’s something you work at all the time, and if you find an answer you don’t say anything about it, because you want [opponents] to think they have the upper hand. It’s been an ongoing battle for years.”

Lachemann said he constantly reviews tapes to detect any delivery flaws that might help opponents identify pitches.

“But if you go back and watch tapes, 90% of problems are caused by balls in bad locations,” Lachemann said. “Obviously, if you know what’s coming it’s easier to make adjustments, but you can spin your wheels by worrying too much about that and not concentrating on making quality pitches.”

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If left-handers are supposedly flaky by nature and relief pitchers are considered a bit off the wall, what does that make a left-handed reliever?

“One messed-up individual,” Angel left-hander Mike Holtz said. “You could look at us as being not altogether there.”

Difficult to say that about Holtz. He has made his presence felt, entering Saturday’s game with a 3-3 record and 1.78 earned-run average, giving up earned runs in only five of 40 appearances.

Twenty-two of his appearances have lasted one-third of an inning, because his primary job is to get left-handed batters out, but you can’t underestimate his contributions.

“You may not be in the limelight, but it’s very satisfying, personally, when you get the job done, because it’s usually a key situation in the game,” Holtz said. “The only people I really need to please are those in this [clubhouse] who depend on me.”

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Mark Langston, trying to come back from May 27 elbow surgery, threw for about 25 minutes in the bullpen Saturday and said his arm felt fine. He’s scheduled to make another Class-A rehabilitation start Thursday. . . . The Angels are looking to bolster their bench by adding a right-handed hitter who can play several positions, but they are not pursuing Toronto outfielder Otis Nixon, who is about to be displaced by triple-A outfielder Shannon Stewart and is being shopped by the Blue Jays. . . . Pierre Page, who was named Mighty Duck coach on Saturday, threw out the first pitch.

TONIGHT’S GAME

ANGELS’ KEN HILL (6-9, 5.25 ERA) vs. ORIOLES’ JIMMY KEY (13-6, 2.57 ERA)

Anaheim Stadium, 5 p.m.

Radio--KTZN (710)

* Update--The Orioles, who have been in first place in the American League East every day, are trying to become only the third AL team to lead the division wire to wire, joining the 1927 New York Yankees and 1984 Detroit Tigers. Key has the third-best ERA in the league, behind Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, and the left-hander has a 14-7 career record against the Angels, including a 9-2 mark and 2.96 ERA in Anaheim Stadium. In his last appearance against the Angels, Key threw six shutout innings in a 3-0 victory in Camden Yards on May 7. Hill, acquired for catcher Jim Leyritz on July 29, will be making his third start as an Angel.