Revamped Lineup Works for Angels

Batting seventh, for your Angels, Tim Salmon.

Never has the public address announcer at Edison Field recited those words, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And, after the Angels’ wretched display of clutch hitting Saturday, Manager Mike Scioscia dropped Salmon four spots in the batting order Sunday as part of what he called a “short-term shake-up.”

So far, so good. The revamped lineup, with Garret Anderson out of the cleanup spot and Salmon very nearly bringing up the rear, responded with 14 hits in a 9-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians before 36,339 at Edison Field.

Scioscia then promised to reunite Darin Erstad, Salmon, Anderson and Troy Glaus as the 2-3-4-5 hitters as soon as possible.

“I’d be shocked if this isn’t short-term,” Scioscia said.

“We have plenty of offense. Even with the loss of Mo Vaughn, our offense is not really something we are questioning. What we are looking at is getting guys to swing to their capabilities. Once we do that, you’ll see the wins come.”

Every player in the Angel lineup reached base at least once, and three of the struggling bombers--Anderson, Erstad and Salmon--even stole a base.

Still, the Angels nearly got swept by the Indians, blowing leads of 5-0 and 6-2.

The player most critical in the Angels’ winning rally, as it turned out, was the one in the Indians’ training room. Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel, winner of eight consecutive Gold Glove awards, did not play because of a sore right knee.

“He’s the best shortstop I’ve ever seen,” Angel closer Troy Percival said. “Any time you take somebody of that caliber out of the game, nobody can fill his shoes.”

Utility man Jolbert Cabrera, who played third base Friday and center field Saturday, started at shortstop for Cleveland on Sunday.

In the eighth inning, with the score tied 6-6, the Angels had Jose Molina on second base and one out. David Eckstein hit a ground ball that Cabrera fielded but threw wildly to first base, an error that allowed Molina to take third and Eckstein to reach first.

Erstad then grounded to Cabrera, who had plenty of time to throw out Molina at home. But Cabrera dropped the ball, so Molina scored the winning run, even as Cabrera recovered and threw out Erstad at first. When Glaus and Anderson each singled home a run later in the inning, the Angels had three unearned runs and a 9-6 lead.

Percival took it from there. He gave up his first earned run of the season in Saturday’s loss to Cleveland, but he retired the Indians in order in the ninth inning Sunday, becoming the fourth American League pitcher with 10 saves.

The power hitter of the day was infielder Benji Gil, whose home run was the Angels’ first in 35 innings.

“Are you talking to me as a power guy?” Gil said.

Um, yes, today we are.

“There will be times that guys you expect to produce go through some tough times. It’s up to us to pick up the slack,” Gil said.

“There will be times we struggle, like people expect, and the big guys will put us on their shoulders and carry us along for the ride.”

Salmon is hitting .206 overall and .059 (2 for 34) with runners in scoring position. For now, Scioscia said, Salmon is wound too tightly to hit third.

“We want to take him out of a more sensitive RBI situation and let him swing the bat and relax,” Scioscia said. “Right now it’s tough for Tim. He’s working overtime on solutions. He’ll get there.”

Salmon, who holds the franchise record for home runs, said he did not protest when Scioscia summoned him before the game and explained the lineup switch, one Salmon said could have been warranted one week ago.

“When you walk in the clubhouse, you check your pride and ego at the door, especially with the way things are going,” Salmon said.

“You can’t have a guy hitting .200 in the three hole. I haven’t hit there before, but I haven’t been in this kind of a hitting predicament before either. If it makes the team better, that’s the bottom line.

“It does get frustrating killing rallies.”