Angels Look More Like Pretenders : Baseball: Springer is roughed up again during 8-5 loss to Twins, their 15th in 24 games, but they are still only 1 1/2 games out of first place.

By BOB NIGHTENGALE

June 26, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MINNEAPOLIS — The Angels scan the division standings each morning in the newspaper, trying to convince themselves that they’re legitimate contenders, only to look in the mirror each night and wonder who’s kidding whom.

“We’d only be fooling ourselves if we thought we deserved to win this division,” Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “We’re damn lucky to be where we are, and we know it.”

The Angels’ latest stunt Friday was stopping the Minnesota Twins’ nine-game losing streak with an 8-5 defeat, leaving the crowd of 26,407 at the Metrodome wondering how either of these teams could still be in the hunt in the American League West.

But there they are for all the world to see: The Angels (36-35), losers of 15 of their last 24 games, are third, 1 1/2 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox.

The Twins (30-39), who have produced the three longest losing streaks in the major leagues this season, nevertheless are only 6 1/2 games back.

The Angels would love to tell the folks back home that they’re sitting pretty, and that they see no reason why they can’t be the last ones standing in this mediocre division.

They could call up the American League office, get permission to start printing playoff tickets, and maybe persuade the fans to buy season tickets for 1994.

Yet, as much as the Angels crave to boast about being a legitimate contender, they find themselves wondering when the front-running pack will soon leave them behind.

“Unless we start winning games, 3-2 and 2-1,” Rodgers said, “you can’t consider us serious contenders. Certainly, we’re not a contender now.”

Rodgers paused, shook his head, and said: “And we won’t have a shot until we get our pitching problems worked out.”

The pitching has deteriorated so badly that although the Angels produced 14 hits--their third-highest total of the season--the pitching prevented them from even having a chance to win.

Starter Russ Springer, who has developed this nasty habit of ending the suspense of a game’s outcome by the second inning, once again provided the elixir for another team’s hitting woes. He was hammered for seven runs and seven hits, including three doubles and a three-run home run, before two were out in the second inning.

In his last two starts, Springer has given up 13 hits and 13 runs in the first two innings alone.

“Right now, he’s not giving himself a chance, or us a chance to even win a game,” Rodgers said. “Right now, (Springer) is not ready to pitch in the major leagues on a regular basis.”

Springer, 0-2 with a 9.92 earned-run average, was allowed to remain in the game to sort out his troubles. He responded by retiring 10 of the next 12 batters without allowing a baserunner to reach second base. He was pulled after giving up nine hits and seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

“I still feel I belong here,” Springer said, “but I just can’t get over these starts. I’ve never been a slow starter before, and now it keeps happening.”

Although Springer claims his strong finish boosted his confidence, it did nothing to camouflage the Angels’ pitching woes. The staff has a 5.78 ERA during the last 25 games, and soon could have more problems. J.T. Snow, one of the league’s finest defensive first baseman, is expected to sit out the rest of the series because of a strained quadriceps that he aggravated during the second inning.

This night, the Angels gave up more runs in two innings than the Twins had scored in their last four games combined.

The only streak kept intact was the abysmal performance of the Angels’ Nos. 3-5 starters. They are 1-13 with a 10.43 ERA since May 28.

“It’s not like the pitchers are trying to go out there and give up hits,” DiSarcina said, “but it’s obvious we’ve got some problems. I mean, how can anyone say we deserve to be in first place.

“If we didn’t get off to the start we did (10-2), we’d be buried.”

Even in the American League West.