Not About to Glaus Over His Temper

After Troy Glaus struck out to end the top of the third inning Tuesday night, the Angel third baseman gently tossed his bat and helmet underhand toward the dugout. No violent heave of the bat. No Shaquille O’Neal-like slam of the helmet.

Manager Mike Scioscia held a lengthy closed-door meeting with Glaus, batting instructor Mickey Hatcher and bench coach Joe Maddon before Tuesday night’s game, and one of the subjects addressed was Glaus’ temper, which rose as Glaus’ June batting average (.189) plummeted.

“Absolutely, he takes things too hard,” Scioscia said. “He’s a perfectionist, a special player who brings a special sense of duty to the park every day. When things are not going as well as he thinks they should, he takes it very hard. It gets tougher and tougher to turn the page and get ready for the next game, but that’s what he has to do.”

No one took Monday night’s 1-0 loss to the A’s harder than Glaus, whose 12th-inning error contributed to Oakland’s run. After the game, Glaus, still wearing his full uniform, stared into his locker, his head buried in his hands, for several minutes.

On the field, Glaus’ frustration has been accompanied by a series of flying batting gloves, helmets and bats. Scioscia is concerned such negative energy might have a negative impact on the team.

“These guys all feed off each other, and if a couple of guys relax and play better, it would have a positive effect on the whole group,” Scioscia said. “Troy had a tough June, but he had a tough month last year [.194 in July] and bounced back.”

The A’s, looking to bolster their offense after the weekend retirement of John Jaha, acquired Ron Gant from the Colorado Rockies for minor league outfielder Robin Jennings Tuesday.

Gant, 36, was batting .257 with eight homers and 22 runs batted in in 59 games for the Rockies. Oakland wanted a veteran bat from the right side, which is exactly what the Angels were looking for when they acquired Gant from Philadelphia for pitcher Kent Bottenfield last July.

But Gant was a bust in Anaheim, batting only .205 with one homer and six RBIs in 39 at-bats against left-handers last season and .232 with six homers and 16 RBIs overall in 34 games.

Garret Anderson’s two-run homer in the second inning Tuesday snapped the Angels scoreless-innings streak at 27. The club record for consecutive scoreless innings is 33, set Aug. 7-10, 1963. Anderson’s homer also prevented the Angels from being shut out for the third consecutive game. Only once in franchise history, from June 4-6, 1978, have the Angels been shut out in three consecutive games. . . . Pitcher Ismael Valdes, on the disabled list because of an inflamed shoulder, showed no ill effects from Monday’s bullpen workout, and Scioscia said he will start Thursday against the A’s. Ramon Ortiz will be pushed back to Friday’s game at Colorado.

TODAY

ANGELS’

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS

(6-7, 5.16 ERA)

vs.

ATHLETICS’

CORY LIDLE

(1-4, 4.66 ERA)

Network Associates Coliseum, 12:30 p.m.

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

Update--Schoeneweis, who had a 3.71 earned-run average June 13, has given up 22 earned runs on 26 hits, including five homers, in his last three starts and he has lost his last four games. Lidle went 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in five June starts after going 0-4 with a 5.37 ERA in nine starts over the first two months of the season. He has nine no-decisions this season and has left with the lead in eight of those games.