Ray’s Play Stays Steady Despite Angels’ Ever-Changing Lineup

The Angels were trailing by three runs when Johnny Ray came to bat in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers and launched a Mark Knudson fastball into the right-field bullpen.

He ended up with a home run and a single in four at-bats during the Angels’ 3-2 loss to Milwaukee.

Ray has shaken off far greater discouragements than a 3-0 deficit this season and far greater distractions than the ever-changing lineup of streaking and slumping players. Through it all, Ray keeps putting up the numbers expected of a .289 lifetime hitter.

After recovering from bursitis of the shoulder and being reactivated from the 15-day disabled list June 9, Ray went seven for 14 in his first three games back.

After taking July 4 and 5 off to be with his wife and newborn daughter in Oklahoma, Ray went four for eight in a 16-inning, 9-8 victory over Milwaukee in his first game back and was nine for 17 in his first three games back.

And after missing a day for his father-in-law’s funeral, Ray returned July 15 to drive in the game-winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

“It’s a business,” Ray said. “You’ve got to be out here every day and you’ve got to face it like that. You’re supposed to be out here every day playing baseball and trying to win. How you feel shouldn’t affect you. You’re supposed to block all that stuff out and just play the game.”

Ray said several frustrating years he spent in Pittsburgh helped him develop that focus. As a Pirate from 1981 to 1987, Ray saw the cellar of the National League East three years in a row, from 1984-1986.

Despite his steadily rising average, that focus isn’t helping him through the frustration he’s feeling as the Angels fell 13 1/2 games behind Oakland Wednesday. Ray said “there’s no doubt” that a set lineup would help the Angels.

“We haven’t had a set lineup all year, and that’s been frustrating,” Ray said.

The Angels have used 91 lineups in 92 games. Injuries have necessitated some of the shuffling. Eleven Angel players have been placed on the disabled list so far this season, compared to nine in all of last year.

Angel Manager Doug Rader has been defensive about his lineup shuffling and points to the Toronto Blue Jays as a successful club without a set lineup.

“If you use a set lineup, people say you’re too set in your ways,” Rader said before Monday’s game, “and if you don’t, people say you’re doing too much tinkering.”

While Ray believes the absence of set lineup has hurt the team, he is also frustrated with himself.

“I haven’t been as consistent as I’d like,” he said. “Any time you’re hitting .260 or .270, you’re not that consistent if you’re an every-day ballplayer. I haven’t played that well in the first half and I hope that I can get things going and maybe we can pick up some ground here.”