DiSarcina Has Deep Bruise in Wrist

The effort drew rave reviews from the Angel coaching staff. The overnight notices were nowhere near as glowing.

One day after Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina thrilled Manager Terry Collins by lunging into a photographers’ well in an attempt to catch Scott Hatteberg’s 10th-inning foul popup, an MRI test test brought some sobering news Tuesday.

Though X-rays revealed no fracture, DiSarcina suffered a deep bone bruise in his left wrist, an injury that bumped him from Tuesday night’s game against the Red Sox and could sideline him for another four or five days--or more.

“My first thought after the play was, that’s why we’re going to win some games this year,” Collins said. “They’ll do whatever it takes to win. They don’t think about anything else.”

DiSarcina ranged far beyond the third-base line for the ball, but after reaching over a railing, he fell head over heels onto the photo well, landing on his back and banging his left wrist on the concrete floor.

DiSarcina will be reexamined today by Dr. Norman Zemel, a hand and wrist specialist. The injury is not believed to be serious, but the mere thought of losing the smooth-fielding shortstop for any period of time is frightening for the Angels.

The Angels, remember, had an 11-game lead in the American League West on Aug. 3, 1995, the night DiSarcina tore a ligament in his left thumb. By the time DiSarcina returned in the last week of September, the lead was gone.

“You win with good pitching and by catching the ball, and no one’s as good at catching the ball as Gary,” Collins said. “[Carlos] Garcia and [Craig] Shipley are good shortstops, but they’re not as good as Gary. That’s not a knock on them. Gary is one of the best in the league, and if he’s not in the lineup, we’re not as good.”

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A successful defensive play for Angel pitcher Chuck Finley is one in which the 6-foot-6 left-hander either does not get hurt or does not make an error--a Gold Glove pitcher, he is not.

But Finley made perhaps the play of his life Monday night, fielding a beautiful drag bunt toward third by Jim Leyritz with his bare hand, spinning and making an off-balance throw to first just ahead of Leyritz in the ninth inning of the Angels’ 2-1, 11-inning victory.

“I knew Jimmy was running so I thought I’d take a shot--if it was anyone else I probably would have ate it,” Finley said. “That was the baseball gods at work there. I’ve tried that before, and a couple of times I’ve thrown it all the way to the right-field foul pole.”

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If you thought St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire was off to a hot home run pace, get a load of Angel prospect Troy Glaus, the third pick in the 1997 draft.

Glaus, a former UCLA standout, hit two home runs for double-A Midland on Monday night and now has five homers in his first five games.

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Tuesday was the 19th anniversary of Angel assistant general manager Ken Forsch’s no-hitter, which he threw for the Houston Astros on opening day against Atlanta, on April 7, 1979.

Forsch walked two and struck out three in the Astros’ 6-0 victory.

With the no-hitter, Ken joined Bob Forsch as the only brother combination to throw no-hitters in major league history.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JACK McDOWELL (0-1, 6.43 ERA)

vs.

RED SOX DEREK LOWE (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Edison Field, 7:30 p.m. TV--ESPN.

Radio--KTZN (710), XPRS (1090).

Update--Garcia started at shortstop in place of DiSarcina on Monday night, and Collins said Shipley will start tonight. McDowell, who gave up five runs on eight hits in seven innings of a 6-2 loss to Cleveland Friday night, is looking for his first victory as an Angel. Lowe pitched great in spring training but was hit hard in his first game against Seattle, giving up seven runs on seven hits in four innings of an 11-6 loss.