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Tyler Skaggs struggles again in Angels’ 7-2 loss to Blue Jays

Angels starter Tyler Skaggs only completed four innings Tuesday, when he walked five batters.
(Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images)
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Nick Buss has played more than 1,000 professional baseball games and a bunch more as an amateur. But, until Tuesday at the Rogers Centre, the 29-year-old outfielder had never once faced a knuckleball pitcher. In their pregame hitters’ meeting, the Angels stressed to never let up on any pitches from Toronto starter R.A. Dickey, no matter how high they started.

And so Buss, making his 14th major league start, observed the first one Dickey threw him in the second inning. It dipped tremendously, for a ball. He hacked at the similar second pitch and missed. On the third, another fluttering knuckleball, Buss timed it right and unloaded for his first home run at his sport’s highest level.

It was the lone bright spot in another disheartening defeat for the Angels, this time 7-2 to the Blue Jays. Tyler Skaggs’ slide since his superb return to the major leagues continued, as the 25-year-old left-hander finished only four innings and gave up as many runs.

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“I know I’m better than that,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs quickly allowed a first-inning run on a double, walk, and single. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons then attempted to trick Toronto into a double play when Troy Tulowitzki lofted a baseball to him and the infield fly rule was called. It did not work. Simmons let the ball drop in front of him, then watched it bounce up to his face while the Blue Jays baserunners stayed put.

In the third, a similar fly by Edwin Encarnacion traveled in the same direction, deeper. Manning left field, Buss took a false step back, then dove came up a foot short, loading the bases for Russell Martin without an out. Skaggs walked him to force in a run, and Toronto took the lead when Tulowitzki followed by grounding into a double play.

Skaggs yielded another run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Manager Mike Scioscia pulled him when he walked the first batter he faced in the fifth, but did not receive superior work from his bullpen.

Skaggs’ first two major league starts after elbow ligament-replacement surgery were scoreless. Now, through six outings, his earned-run average sits at 5.70. Tuesday was his worst start to date. The five walks he issued tied a career high, and he struck out only two men, a season low.

“Hopefully, Tyler is going to make some adjustments, because his stuff is good,” Scioscia said. “It’s just a matter of making some pitches and putting some guys away. Right now he’s having a tough time doing that.”

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Skaggs felt he threw his pitches into the strike zone too often two starts ago in Cleveland. He must reconfigure his approach.

“It’s a mindset,” Skaggs said. “I went from throwing too many strikes to walking four or five guys. I have to find the fine line between both of those.”

The Angels scattered some runners after Buss’ homer. Their next-best chance to score came in the eighth, when Mike Trout led off with a single and swiped second.

Albert Pujols grounded a ball to third that Josh Donaldson first flubbed. But, because of Pujols’ lack of speed and Donaldson’s quick recovery, the Angels’ designated hitter was still thrown out. He muttered to himself as he retreated to the visiting dugout.

Trout was then picked off, and C.J. Cron struck out swinging on a low fastball to end the inning. He flung his bat to the ground in disgust.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

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Twitter: @pedromoura

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