Rookie Second Baseman Makes Most of His Chance

Manager Terry Collins said Justin Baughman was “a nervous wreck” before his major league debut Sunday, and Baughman acknowledged his stomach was churning well into the Angels’ 4-3 loss to Detroit. “My first two at-bats,” he said, “the pitcher was moving on me.”

You could hardly tell. Baughman’s suicide squeeze, which was ruled a single, scored the go-ahead run in the sixth, and he lined a single to center in the eighth.

The 23-year-old second baseman also made a nice backhand stop of Deivi Cruz’s third-inning grounder and threw Cruz out, and he started a 4-6-3 double play in the sixth.

“When I looked down and saw that the field was nicer than any I’ve ever played on, I felt a little better,” Baughman said. “Once I got into the flow of the game, I was fine. . . . Unfortunately, it was a bittersweet ending.”

Baughman was considered one of the Angels’ best young shortstop prospects, but when Randy Velarde was sidelined with an elbow injury this spring, Collins moved Baughman, who played at Class-A Lake Elsinore in 1997, to second base.

Baughman was hitting .321 with 25 runs and 15 stolen bases for triple-A Vancouver when he was called up Saturday to replace Velarde, whose recurring injury sidelined him again Thursday.

“The move [to second base] was a blessing,” Baughman said. “Unfortunately, it came at the expense of someone’s health, but that’s what happens sometimes.”

*

Jack McDowell looked so good during his bullpen workout--and felt so good afterward--Sunday that Collins said the right-hander will definitely return to the rotation this week. The manager’s decision on whom McDowell will replace won’t be easy.

Jason Dickson much showed promise Saturday, throwing five strong innings in the Angels’ 8-6 victory over the Tigers, and Omar Olivares, despite walking five, gave up only one run and two hits against Detroit on Sunday. Since moving into the rotation May 1, Olivares is 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA in four starts.

“The coaches will sit down [today] and decide what makes us a better team, and then I’ll meet with Bill [Bavasi, Angel general manager] Tuesday,” Collins said. “Do we carry 12 pitchers? Do we keep Jason in the rotation and put Omar in the bullpen? There are a lot of decisions.”

*

The turnover at second base hasn’t prevented the Angels from turning double plays. Baughman is the fifth player to start at second this season, but the Angels still lead the American League with 55 double plays. The common denominator, of course, is steady shortstop Gary DiSarcina.

“There’s nothing better than turning a double play, especially with one out in the seventh, eighth or ninth inning,” DiSarcina said. “You can really take the will away from a team.”

TODAY’S GAME

ANGELS’ ALLEN WATSON

(3-3, 6.25 ERA)

vs.

TIGERS’ BRIAN MOEHLER

(3-3, 4.66 ERA)

Tiger Stadium, Detroit, 4 p.m.

Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Five Angels--Darin Erstad, Cecil Fielder, Jim Edmonds, Phil Nevin and Justin Baughman--had two hits apiece and the Angels finished with 14 hits, but they managed only three runs Sunday.