At the End, Langston Looks Up : Angels: He struggles in losing to Royals, 9-6, but his pitching since early August brings confidence.

It wasn’t long ago that Mark Langston looked forward to his last start of the season to end his misery.

As he ended his first season as an Angel Saturday against Kansas City, Langston looked forward to it with the enthusiasm and assurance he has brought to every start since reversing the course of a season that was headed toward disappointment and frustration.

“It helps tremendously that I’m finishing on a strong note, that I got things turned around and got my confidence back,� Langston said before giving up six earned runs in 7 1/3 innings in the Angels’ 9-6 loss to the Royals. He won five of his last seven decisions to finish at 10-17, with a 4.40 earned-run average and struck out 195.

He added: “That’s basically what I’m looking at, getting my confidence strong. I really didn’t have much confidence for a while, but I’ve got that back now.�

Langston, who raised fans’ already lofty expectations when he combined with Mike Witt to no-hit the Mariners in his April 11 Angel debut, flailed through midseason. On May 10 he was 3-3 with a 3.33 earned-run average. Then his season began to unravel.

On June 10, Langston pitched eight innings and struck out 12 in a 2-1 loss to Texas. On June 15, he pitched eight innings and struck out 11 in a 2-1 loss at Detroit, although he didn’t get the decision. On June 20, he struck out 10 in a 2-1 loss at Chicago. On June 25, he struck out four and allowed the White Sox only two runs, but the Angels scored none.

Four starts, three runs’ support. He allowed only seven runs in those four starts but five came with two out, a pattern he followed all season. He was pitching just well enough to lose, and soon wasn’t pitching well at all. He gave up 17 earned runs in his next four starts, and on July 22 he was yanked after giving up six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings to the Indians. Anaheim Stadium fans, who had waited patiently for Langston to justify the Angels’ $16-million investment in him, booed mercilessly.

“It was frustrating losing so many close games. Then I had one terrible game after those four, and for some reason everything was magnified in that Cleveland game here,� said Langston, who lost eight consecutive decisions and was winless in 10 starts from June 10 to Aug. 1. “At that point, I had no confidence for two or three starts, maybe more than that. It was definitely the most difficult period I’d been through. . . .

“Lach (pitching coach Marcel Lachemann) worked with me very hard the whole year, and it got to the point where my mechanics were ironed out. Then I had two good games in a row and it snowballed.�

Hindsight wouldn’t alter Langston’s decision to sign with the Angels. “This is the team I wanted to play for, even though things haven’t gone as well for the team or myself as I would have liked,� he said. “This was a very good growing year for me. I learned a lot this year. I think it’s definitely helped me. I had to come through some tough times, and I can definitely use that to my advantage in the future.�

Angel Notes

Chuck Finley’s season ended Friday with his unsuccessful quest for 20 victories. Finley finishes at 18-9 with a 2.40 earned-run average in 236 innings. Mike Fetters (1-1) will start in his place Wednesday in Oakland. . . . Chili Davis won’t play again this season because of what trainer Ned Bergert called degenerative changes in Davis’ lower back. Bergert said Davis can improve with exercise and weight control.