Seems Like Another Setup: Angels Waste Lead, 14 Hits

The Angels absorbed the loss of outfielder Tim Salmon for two weeks, and pitcher Omar Olivares has filled in admirably for injured Jack McDowell, but they’re having a heck of a time without setup man Mike James.

With James on the disabled list since May 5 because of a forearm injury, much of the eighth-inning responsibilities have fallen on Rich DeLucia’s shoulders. It has been a difficult burden to bear.

DeLucia walked two and gave up a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly during a three-run eighth inning Sunday, as the Angels blew a two-run lead and lost to Detroit, 4-3, in front of 13,476 at Tiger Stadium.

Wasted was another strong start by Olivares, who gave up two hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings, Jim Edmonds’ home run and RBI single, and a fine major league debut by second baseman Justin Baughman, who had two hits, laid down a suicide squeeze for the go-ahead run and played flawless defense.

“You can’t lose games like today, when you have a team down, 3-1, in the eighth inning,” Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “Omar pitched his tail off again, and we didn’t capitalize. These are games you have to, and should, win.”

DeLucia didn’t deserve all the blame. The Angels made the least of their 14 hits, and relievers Pep Harris and Mike Holtz set the stage for the eighth, Harris giving up a leadoff homer to Joe Randa and Holtz walking Bobby Higginson.

DeLucia then walked Tony Clark. Andy Tomberlin ran for Clark, and he and Higginson advanced on a wild pitch. DeLucia then walked Luis Gonzalez. After Damion Easley struck out looking, pinch-hitter Bip Roberts looped an RBI single a few feet over DiSarcina’s head, and Paul Bako ripped a sacrifice fly to the wall in left for the eventual winning run. “I don’t care how many hits you get, the object of this game is to throw the ball over the plate,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “You walk people, you’re asking for trouble.”

Since opening the season with an impressive 2.79 earned-run average in nine games, DeLucia has gone 1-3 with a 10.13 ERA, nine walks and two blown saves in eight appearances since April 28. He gave up a game-winning home run to Toronto’s Mike Stanley in the ninth Thursday.

“Everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong,” DeLucia said. “All I can do is keep battling, do my best, and challenge hitters. If they’re going to beat me, they’re going to beat me.”

Collins thinks a change may help DeLucia. “He earned his spot with the way he pitched in spring training and the way he threw earlier in the season,” the Angel manager said. “But maybe it will be good for his confidence to take the pressure off him and use him in different situations.”

DeLucia was 6-3 with a 2.41 ERA in 29 games before being sidelined last July 15 because of an aneurysm, which was removed from his right shoulder. He struggled after returning in September, going 0-1 with a 12.60 ERA in four games, but he rebounded in spring.

He’s confident he’ll bounce back again. “I’ll do whatever is best for the team, but I don’t want to sit on the bench for 15 days,” said DeLucia, whose fastball has hit 92 mph this season. “If I pitch, things are going to change, I guarantee that. I’ve never had a stretch like this before, but I’m feeling too good not to be throwing well.”

Added Angel pitching coach Marcel Lachemann: “He’s been attacking hitters, but sometimes when you go through a stretch like that, you start thinking about mechanics. You look at a lot of video and start thinking about what you’re doing on the mound, and it turns into paralysis by analysis.”