A.L. (Baseball).

Anaheim Angels

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9-14 3rd in West

QUICK STUDY: Now that Mo Vaughn is with the Mets, 1B Scott Spiezio is getting a chance to shed his tag of utilityman. Spiezio doesn't have the power of a prototypical first baseman, but he is a switch hitter with occasional pop from the left side. Defensively, he has been a quick study. Having come up as a third baseman, he has shown good hands with the ability to dig out throws in the dirt and make plays on hard-hit balls. His versatility still is utilized; he is Troy Glaus' primary backup at third and he can play the outfield if needed.... It took five starts, but RHP Aaron Sele finally got his first win as an Angel last Saturday. In his five starts, he made it through six innings only twice and failed to finish seven innings, far from what the club expected after signing him to a three-year, $24 million deal. Sele's command has suffered while he has struggled to get comfortable with his mechanics.... C Bengie Molina made a late-April run in which he had 13 hits in 33 at-bats, improving his average to better than .300. Molina explained his hot stretch as simply a "feel" and says he was seeing the ball well.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: After the team fell to 6-14, its worst record ever through 20 games, manager Mike Scioscia made a drastic lineup change, moving OF Orlando Palmeiro to third in the order. Palmeiro had three home runs in eight-plus seasons, but Scioscia said Palmeiro had been swinging well and was getting on base, which helped set the table for the middle of the lineup. The team scored 11 first-inning runs over the next three games and won all three.--Joe Haakenson

BURNING ISSUE

The bullpen, one of the league's best last season, is struggling. Setup man Shigetoshi Hasegawa was let go in December, and RHP closer Troy Percival spent two weeks on the D.L. Without Percival, relievers struggled to settle into roles.