Karl Can’t Shake Off Rust in Angel Debut

The Angels went into Tuesday night’s game against Toronto hoping to find another strong pitching arm for a late-season run.

But left-hander Scott Karl’s first start with the Angels turned out to be a rocky one. Karl gave up nine hits and four runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Blue Jays’ Carlos Delgado, bidding to become baseball’s first triple crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, helped make Karl’s first outing with the Angels more difficult, drilling doubles in consecutive at-bats in the first and third innings.

The Angels came back for a 9-4 victory, thanks to a big night on offense of their own, but Karl was disappointed he couldn’t do more.

“I think I was excited and a little rusty,” Karl said. “I pitched about seven innings at Lake Elsinore [Thursday], but before that I had pitched only about three innings in about three weeks. I just wish I could have given this ballclub a better effort, but these guys came back like world-beaters. They picked me up, and it was a huge win.”

But Karl knows he will need to do better.

“I might be able to write this off to nerves and not pitching much lately, but this is a team making a playoff push, and I want to be able to help that.”

Angel Manager Mike Scioscia was hoping for a better performance from Karl.

“I saw some good pitches, but he wasn’t in a rhythm,” Scioscia said. “His game is working both sides of the plate. He’ll get another opportunity.”

Karl began the season in the Colorado Rockies’ starting rotation, but was 1-3 with a 7.40 earned-run average in nine starts. He also made eight appearances in relief, but went on the 15-day disabled list July 16 with a lower back strain.

After three rehabilitation starts with Colorado Springs, he returned to the Rockies’ roster Aug. 5, making one more relief appearance before being designated for assignment. He was 2-3 with a 7.68 ERA with the Rockies when the the Angels acquired him.

Karl, however, had won 10 or more games each season from 1996 through 1999 with the Milwaukee Brewers, and had a career-high 13 wins in 1996. In 1999, he was 11-11 with a 4.78 ERA in 33 starts for Milwaukee before being traded to Colorado.

“We know he’s capable of being a better pitcher than he’s shown (this season),” Scioscia said. “When you pick up a newspaper in the morning and read the statistics, it’s hard to evaluate how someone is pitching (at Coors Field). We hope he can come around to where he was when he pitched for Milwaukee. He was a consistent starter there. “