A.L. west

Sporting News, The, August 5, 2005

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

CF Steve Finley is swinging with greater ease after spending time on the D.L. with a right shoulder strain, and his bat speed appears close to normal. But Finley's timing is off, making it difficult for him to make solid contact. ... RF Vladimir Guerrero also has been struggling with timing issues. Pitchers have been working him hard inside and soft away, and the aggressive Guerrero has been getting himself out. ... SS Orlando Cabrera has returned to the lineup, but that doesn't mean reduced playing time for Maicer Izturis, who is filling in for 3B Dallas McPherson (hip) and occasionally spelling Cabrera. SCOUTING REPORT: RHP Franciso Rodriguez arguably has the best breaking ball in the game, a hard-breaking slider that is more of a slurve. When he throws it near the strike zone and spots his fastball, he is nearly unhittable. After watching old video of himself, he found he wasn't being as aggressive as he used to be early in counts; now he is attacking the strike zone.--Mike Scarr

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

RHP Rich Harden owes much of his success to a split-finger fastball he jams between his middle and index fingers, creating a knuckling effect. It's a great complement to his high-90s fastball and 88-mph change. ... Rookie Nick Swisher primarily plays the outfield, but he's the team's best defensive first baseman. A switch hitter who got a lot of experience at first in college, he has been playing there more against lefthanders. ... RHPs Dan Haren and Joe Blanton have switched spots in the rotation, with Blanton moving to No. 3 and Haren to No. 4. LHP Barry Zito, Harden and Haren go deeper into games than Blanton and RHP Kirk Saarloos, so the A's broke up Blanton and Saarloos, the No. 5 starter, to ease the bullpen burden. SCOUTING REPORT: Since the 2004 All-Star break, Zito has added a two-seam fastball, a slider and a cut fastball to his curve, four-seam fastball and changeup. A mechanical tweak--he's standing up straighter in his setup-has added velocity to his fastball. The changes are the reason for his dramatic turnaround.--Mychael Urban

SEATTLE MARINERS

RHP Joel Pineiro has a great repertoire of pitches and should be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, but his ERA has risen for the fifth straight season. He no longer is a reliable starter, even struggling at spacious Safeco Field. Opponents are hitting .298 against Pineiro. ... The team is expected to be a seller at the trading deadline, and there is a lot of interest in closer Eddie Guardado, who has converted 22 of 23 save opportunities and has a 1.64 ERA. But he wants to stay in Seattle and can veto a trade to 10 clubs, including the Yankees and Red Sox-two teams reportedly interested in him. SCOUTING REPORT: CF Jeremy Reed has made some eye-popping diving catches this season, but he still struggles to hit the cutoff man, too often allowing runners to take extra bases. Reed has a strong arm but needs to get his throws down to give the cutoff man a chance. It should help that SS Mike Morse usually is that player. At 6-4, Morse provides a good target.--Jim Street

TEXAS RANGERS

RHP Kevin Gryboski's performance will depend heavily on the effectiveness of his sinker and his adjustment to pitching to the designated hitter. Gryboski, acquired from Atlanta, has had moderate success against the A.L. in interleague play. ... inconsistency and a finger injury have kept Ron Mahay from succeeding in his role as the lefthanded setup man; his job could be in jeopardy. ... Look for opposing managers to try to force 1B Mark Teixeira to hit from the right side of the plate. Limited at-bats from the fight have kept him from finding a groove on that side, and his first 27 home runs in 2005 came from the left side. SCOUTING REPORT: The team has been impressed with RHP Kameron Loe's talent and skills, but there is some concern about his ability to be effective when pitching more than an inning. A former starter, Loe should have the ability to pitch multiple innings, but he has been inconsistent in extended duty.--Jesse Sanchez