Trade Talks Warm as Team Cools

A week ago, the Angels were 6 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers and full of optimism as they began the second half, with Tim Salmon and Ken Hill on the verge of returning from the disabled list and Jim Edmonds and Tim Belcher not far behind.

Speculation the Angels would trade Chuck Finley to a contender had subsided, because the Angels were looking like contenders themselves and would need the veteran left-hander.

“There’s no way we can pack it in, we’re too close,” General Manager Bill Bavasi said, knowing a trade of Finley would be the equivalent of raising the white flag. “We’re not out of this race by any means.”

They might be now. Wednesday night’s 9-5 loss to Texas, the Angels’ sixth consecutive defeat, dropped them 11 1/2 games behind the Rangers, and their approach to the Finley situation might change.

According to baseball sources, the Angels would consider trading Finley if they didn’t sweep this two-game series from the Rangers. They lost Game 1 Wednesday night.

The Yankees have reportedly offered struggling left-hander Andy Pettitte for Finley, but the Angels would prefer a top prospect or two over an arbitration-eligible pitcher with a suspect elbow and a $6-million-a-year contract.

The Indians are also interested in Finley, who ended the worst slump (32 earned runs in 22 innings) of his career Tuesday night with 7 2/3 innings of three-hit, one-run ball against the San Diego Padres.

The Angels got no such starting pitching Wednesday night. Omar Olivares, who had a 2.27 earned-run average against the Rangers, was rocked for eight runs and nine hits in two innings, his worst outing of the season. Texas strung six consecutive hits together during a six-run third, which gave them an 8-1 lead.

“I’ve been successful because I’ve been sharp on both corners,” Olivares said. “But every ball I threw was flat, up and in the strike zone, and the result was a disaster for us.”

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Manager Terry Collins didn’t make it official, but pitcher Jack McDowell, sidelined since last September because of shoulder and elbow problems, has been told he will start Friday against Baltimore in Camden Yards.

McDowell, the 1993 American League Cy Young Award winner, was limited to 14 starts in 1998, going 5-3 with a 5.09 ERA, and he said last summer he would probably retire after the season.

But the 33-year-old right-hander decided to try another comeback, spending all spring and the first half of the season rehabilitating an arm that has endured numerous surgeries.

“I’m glad I went through all this to come back,” said McDowell, who will take Mike Fyhrie’s spot in the rotation. “It’s been [an awful] few years, but looking back, it all passed pretty quickly.”

McDowell made three minor league rehabilitation starts, going 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in two games for triple-A Edmonton and getting bombed for six earned runs and 11 hits, including two homers, in 7 1/2 innings for Class-A Lake Elsinore.

“I’m happy with how I’m throwing--I’ve got the same old tired program, and until that stops working, I’ll stick with it,” said McDowell, who has gone from a power pitcher to finesse. “I feel good. I don’t think I’ve plateaued yet. I feel I’m getting better.”

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Ramon Ortiz watch: The Angels’ triple-A right-hander scattered four hits, struck out seven and walked three in 7 2/3 innings of Edmonton’s 8-1 win over Calgary on Tuesday night, improving to 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four triple-A starts.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (4-6, 5.17 ERA)

vs.

RANGERS’ JOHN BURKETT (2-4, 5.71 ERA)

The Ballpark in Arlington, 5:30 PDT

TV--Channel 9 Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090)

* Update--The Angels (42-51) fell nine games under .500 Wednesday night, matching their worst record of the season, but their bats showed some signs of life with 10 hits, including back-to-back home runs by Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus in the fourth inning. Ivan Rodriguez had three hits for the Rangers, who have won their last four games against the Angels by the combined score of 41-10. Sparks gave up seven runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings of his last start, Saturday’s 13-3 loss to the Dodgers.