BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Wheels Getting a Little Wobbly

When the New York Yankees bombed the Angels and pitcher Chuck Finley last Tuesday, the left-hander said “the wheels aren’t even beginning to squeak” on the Angels’ ride toward the division title. But that assessment changed somewhat after the Angels’ ninth loss in a row Sunday.

“We’ve got a couple of spokes loose, but we’re going to be all right,” Finley said. “We still have a [5 1/2-game] lead, and those other teams have to catch us. You lose nine in a row, someone should have caught us by now, don’t you think?

“I’m kind of surprised [no one has caught us], but we played ourselves into that spot. We did things the first three-quarters of the season to be able to be in the situation we’re in now.”

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The Angels purchased the contract of right-handed pitcher Rich Monteleone, 33, from triple-A Vancouver, where he was 1-0 with one save and a 3.24 earned-run average in seven appearances.

Monteleone, who played with the Angels in 1988 and ‘89, pitched 1 1/3 innings in Sunday’s loss, yielding one hit. He pitched this season for the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Central League but was cut Aug. 1.

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The Angels walked Boston’s No. 2 hitter, John Valentin, three times. Valentin, who bats in front of most valuable player candidate Mo Vaughn and powerful designated hitter Jose Canseco, scored after each walk. . . . Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds (strained lower back) sat out his second consecutive game and won’t be evaluated until he takes batting practice today in Baltimore.