Vaughn Does More Than Hit It Long

Mo Vaughn talks softly and carries a big stick, one of the biggest bats in baseball, actually.

He hit two home runs Wednesday night to save the Angels from the indignity of losing a game in which they had a 10-0 lead. Less noticeable--but equally important in the bottom line--were his run-scoring single in the fifth inning and RBI double in the seventh inning Monday night in a game the Angels eventually won in the 11th inning.

“I think a lot of people only worry about how far he can hit the ball,” Manager Terry Collins said, “and sometimes they forget he was the second in the league in hitting [with a .337 average] last year.

“I remember there were three or four days in a row in spring training when he came up with guys in scoring position and two outs and he got a single to center or left to give us a win.”

Monday night, Vaughn drove in runs with a line-drive single to left and a missile into the right-field corner for a double. Wednesday night, he hit two-run homers off two of the league’s better left-handers--starter David Wells and reliever Graeme Lloyd--one a rocket to dead center and the other a towering shot down the right-field line.

“He’s a special kind of hitter, there’s no doubt about it,” Collins said. “He really concentrates up there, he has that ability to block everything out. He goes up with a game plan and it shows.”

Vaughn, who is also walking softly these days because of a sprained left ankle suffered on opening day, is happy to be helping the team as designated hitter, but he’s eager to return to first base.

After taking ground balls Thursday afternoon, he said lateral movement still causes some discomfort.

“It’s getting better,” he said, “but there’s still a little bit of soreness going to the bag. Hopefully, in less than a week, it will be ready.”

*

Right-hander Tim Belcher was pitching really well in the early going Wednesday night before he ran into his biggest nemesis this season: the fifth inning.

In the season opener against Cleveland, the Indians scored three times against him in the fifth; a week ago in Toronto, he gave up two two-run homers in the fifth and Thursday he yielded seven hits, two homers and six runs.

Belcher, who has made five starts and given up 24 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings, Thursday had no comment about Wednesday’s performance.

“I did the post-mortem last night,” he said.

His analysis Wednesday night pretty much boiled down to: “This isn’t fun but I’m not going to quit, I can assure you that,” and “Fortunately, we won the ball game.”

Collins said he had no answers, but offered one anyway.

“You get a big lead like that and the first thing that runs through your mind is, ‘I’ve got to throw the ball over the plate,’ instead of just staying in your game. It’s happened to everybody.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--Chicago White Sox, four games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Channel 9 Saturday.

* Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Records--Angels 10-12, White Sox, 11-8.

* Record vs. White Sox (1998)--5-6.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (0-3, 6.75 ERA)

vs.

WHITE SOX’S JAIME NAVARRO (1-1, 7.71 ERA)

* Update--The Angels have discarded any notions about moving Garret Anderson from center field to left and playing Darin Erstad in center when Mo Vaughn returns to first base. “Garret is doing a hell of a job out there,” Manager Terry Collins said. “And Darin spent all spring in left, it wouldn’t be fair to him to stick him in another position now.” The Angels, who have won more games than they lost in April 11 times in 17 years, will have their first losing April since 1994. The White Sox are off to their best start since 1994. Magglio Ordonez, who leads Chicago with six homers and 19 RBIs, has driven in six runs in the last three games. Since moving Ordonez to the No. 4 spot in the order, the White Sox are 9-3 and have won eight of 10.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Chuck Finley (1-2, 6.85) vs. James Baldwin (2-2, 5.09).

* Sunday, 5 p.m.--Omar Olivares (2-2, 3.70) vs. Jim Parque (3-1, 3.70).

* Monday, 1 p.m.--Tim Belcher (1-1, 9.13) vs. John Snyder (3-1, 1.88).