Rapp Takes a Rap; Is Season a Wrap?

By Mike DiGiovanna

Aug. 31, 2001 12 AM PT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Angel pitcher Pat Rapp sat in the emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City Wednesday night, fully expecting to be fitted for a cast on his right forearm, which had the misfortune of being struck by a Mike Sweeney line drive in the fifth inning of a game against the Royals.

“I thought for sure it was broken,’ Rapp said. ‘By the time I looked down at my arm [after it was hit] it was swollen a good inch already.”

Rapp was lucky. X-rays were negative, so he got a splint instead of a cast, but Rapp suffered a severe bruise that has clouded his immediate future. Rapp’s next start has been pushed back to Sept. 8 at the earliest, but when asked if he’d pitch again this season, the right-hander said, ‘I have no idea.”

Rapp’s forearm, wrist and hand were still swollen Thursday, though he had full range of motion in his elbow and wrist and could move his fingers freely. The pain was intense Wednesday night, but he knows it could have been worse.

‘It looked like it was coming toward my face; I just tried to get my arm up to block it,’ Rapp said. ‘It happened so quick, I didn’t have enough time to be scared. I wanted to throw another pitch. They looked at it and said no way. It throbbed all night every time my heart beat.”

The ball that hit Rapp actually caromed off his forearm to second baseman Adam Kennedy, who caught it on the fly for the out, ending a rocky start in which Rapp gave up six runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Fireworks exploded above Kauffman Stadium in the fifth inning Thursday night, and fans rose to their feet to applaud. A Royal home run? No, it was a walk to Mark Quinn, the first unintentional walk the Kansas City right fielder had drawn since May 8. Quinn had gone 241 consecutive plate appearances without a conventional walk until Angel left-hander Jarrod Washburn issued a free pass to him Thursday night. Ironically, Washburn had gone 22 1/3innings without allowing a walk.

“It was a little overdone,” Washburn said of the fireworks, “but the guy deserved it.”

Quinn, who has been so undisciplined he admitted a few weeks ago he had to stop “brain-dead hacking” at the plate, was relieved the streak had ended. “I looked over at the pitcher, and he was laughing, too,” Quinn said. “I’m just glad to get that monkey off my back so people can find something else to blow up and make a big deal out of.”

ON DECK

Opponent

Minnesota Twins, three games.

Site--Metrodome, Minneapolis.

Tonight--5 p.m.

TV--None.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Records--Angels 69-65, Twins 70-64.

Record vs. Twins -- 1-2.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

ISMAEL VALDES

(8-8, 4.03 ERA) vs.

TWINS’

BRAD RADKE

(11-8, 4.04 ERA)

--Radke, who spent 17 days on the disabled list this month because of a bruised right thumb, has worn out the Angels, going 10-4 with a 1.69 career ERA against them in 16 games. The right-hander has given Tim Salmon (.214) and Garret Anderson (.235) the most trouble among Angel regulars, but Troy Glaus (.350) and Darin Erstad (.310) have had some success against him. Valdes will look to snap a string of three consecutive subpar starts, in which he has given up 13 runs on 26 hits in 15 innings. The Twins are 15-31 since the All-Star break.

Saturday, 4 p.m.--Scott Schoeneweis (10-9, 5.05) vs. Kyle Lohse (4-6, 5.33).

Sunday, 11 a.m.--Ramon Ortiz (11-8, 4.35) vs. Rick Reed (2-3, 6.75).