Situation Not Quite the Same for Holtz

Angel pitcher Mike Holtz insists his back is fine, and Manager Mike Scioscia insists he has not lost confidence in his left-handed relief specialist, but inaction seems to be speaking louder than words. Holtz remained in the bullpen Thursday night as right-hander Al Levine gave up a game-winning single to switch-hitter Gregg Zaun, who, from the left side, lined a hit to left field to lift Kansas City to a 2-1 victory over the Angels.

Zaun is batting .347 from the left side and .154 from the right side, but instead of summoning Holtz and forcing Zaun to hit right-handed, Scioscia stuck with Levine, which was fine with Zaun. “I’m pretty embarrassed about my right-handed batting average this year,” Zaun said after the game. “I think I’ve got a better chance to win the ballgame there left-handed.”

Holtz was warming up in the bullpen in the ninth, but Scioscia said he “thought Levine’s stuff looked good.” What went unsaid: Holtz’s stuff has not looked consistently good this season. Holtz, who is 0-1 with a 4.23 earned-run average, limited left-handers to .213 average last season, but they’re batting .270 against him this season. Another factor that has limited Holtz: Set-up men Ben Weber and Levine are sinkerball specialists, and Scioscia has stuck with them against many left-handed batters when the Angels need a double-play ball. Weber, a right-hander, also has been more effective against lefties (.213) than right-handers (.268).

“I don’t feel like they’ve lost confidence in me,” said Holtz, who replaced starter Ismael Valdes in the seventh inning Friday night and gave up a bloop RBI double to Cristian Guzman before retiring four in a row. “There have been some situations where they haven’t hesitated going to me and others where a sinkerball pitcher gives us a better matchup.”

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Despite a performance Darin Erstad called “the worst in my life” Thursday night, the Angel center fielder remained in the third spot in the order Friday night. Erstad went 0 for 5 and stranded 10 runners in Thursday’s loss to the Royals, dropping his average to .262 entering Friday’s game. “We thought about moving him, and he’d probably feel better in the leadoff role, but other than this stretch he’s in, he’s hit the ball hard with runners in scoring position,” Scioscia said. “For me, Ersty is a guy we want in the middle of things. As much as he’s struggled, he’s still a force in the lineup.”

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The Angels today will recall reliever Bart Miadich, who was 4-4 with a 2.44 ERA and 27 saves for triple-A Salt Lake. This is the first day teams can expand their rosters to as many as 40 players. Most of the Angel callups will be delayed while Salt Lake, which is in the running for the Pacific Coast League playoffs, closes its regular season this weekend.

After giving up nine runs in the third inning Thursday night, Salt Lake battled back for a 16-9 victory over the Colorado Sky Sox to remain in a tie for first place in their division. They need to win two of four games against Iowa this weekend to clinch the title and a playoff berth.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

SCOTT

SCHOENEWEIS

(10-9, 5.05 ERA)

vs.

TWINS’

KYLE LOHSE

(4-6, 5.33 ERA) Metrodome, Minneapolis, 4 PDT.

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

Update: Schoeneweis will attempt to put an end to his personal two-game slump, in which the left-hander has given up 13 earned runs on 14 hits in 91/3 innings of a loss to the Red Sox and a no-decision to the Yankees. Angel catcher Bengie Molina, who went two for three Friday night, has 16 hits in his last 24 at-bats, raising his average from .242 on Aug. 20 to .279.