Striking a Balance in Anaheim

Want to know the key to Garret Anderson’s vault into All-Star play these last couple of years? He had to slow down and take it easy.

Try not to laugh--even though Anderson himself can see the humor in a player who has been criticized for not caring or trying hard enough seeking better results through relaxation. What’s next: a snail seeking a massage?

Just listen to the rationale.

“When I was younger, I always felt like everything was rushing, every [pitch] was getting on me quick,” Anderson said. “Now I’m letting the game slow down and come to me more, because I trust my hands, I trust my abilities.

“When I first came up, I watched a lot of veteran hitters. It looked like they were always waiting on the ball as opposed to going out and trying to get it, rush it. That’s what I think I’m starting to get to in my career now.”

Early on, Anderson showed he was capable of getting about 180 hits a season. It only seemed as if none of those hits mattered. They got him on base, but they didn’t drive in runs--especially when it mattered most.

Well, Anderson has averaged 120 runs batted in the last two years, and he’s on pace to do it again in his eighth big league season. As far as importance, they don’t get much more significant than his seventh-inning double that drove in the go-ahead run in a 7-5 victory over Seattle on Sunday that gave the Angels a series sweep and moved them within a game of the first-place Mariners.

The Angels have the same number of losses as the Mariners and the Boston Red Sox, currently their top competitors for the wild-card spot.

Sit back and marinate on that and what Anderson’s hit accomplished.

“He’s turning into an incredible clutch hitter,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s driving the ball to all fields. He’s the guy we want to set the table for. And when we do, he gets it done.”

OK, so maybe he doesn’t get it done with much charisma. When Darin Erstad slid across home plate following Anderson’s double, he popped up, pumped his fist and sprinted toward the dugout. Anderson, standing at second, nonchalantly stared down at the ground, not bothering to look at Erstad, his fired-up teammates or the cheering fans at Edison Field.

“We hadn’t won the game yet,” Anderson said. “Inside, yeah, I was happy I did that. But I never want to let that other team know whether or not I’m happy or mad. I just want to keep it the same where nothing fazes me, so when I get in those situations they think nothing fazes me.”

Mariner shortstop Desi Relaford came over, said a few words and got Anderson to crack a smile. “He just told me I was swinging the bat well,” Anderson said. “I said, ‘Thanks.’ ”

Anderson’s demeanor isn’t just a front for the opposing team. That’s just how he is. All those years of playing in the outfield next to the fiery Erstad and not much has changed about him.

“We definitely go about things different,” Erstad said. “Everybody’s different. [Scioscia] always told me, it takes all kinds. You’ve got to have all kinds of players.

“When you have that, it’s just a good balance. Guys can look up to him, they can look up to me. Everybody doesn’t have to conform to one style of play.”

Balance. That’s exactly what the Angels have right now. Not too wild a clubhouse, not dreadfully dull. A good mix of hustle and big bats in the lineup.

Sunday’s game was a good case. They Angels had four doubles and a triple among their 11 hits. They also scored their sixth run without hitting the ball out of the infield. On a day when their most dependable pitcher, Jarrod Washburn, was roughed up for eight hits and five earned runs, their patchwork bullpen was better than Seattle’s.

As Scioscia said: “To be championship-caliber, it’s a blend of things. It’s not just attitude, it’s talent.”

The Angels have both. So does Anderson.

“Garret’s probably the most consistent player, year to year, that I’ve seen,” Scioscia said. “I think that the one number that really sticks out on Garret--other than the production numbers, the RBIs and all that--is the games played [all but three over the last 2 1/2 seasons, including every game this year]. This guy just keeps coming. He just comes to play and you know what level he’s going to play at.”

He has 76 RBIs now, enough to keep him among the American League’s top five. He leads the league in doubles with 36, and is hitting .299 batting with a team-high 18 home runs.

“In my opinion, he’s our rock,” Erstad said. “He’s the constant. Regardless of whether he’s doing good or bad, he’s always the same. He’s that consistency in our lineup that you just have to have.

“He takes a lot of heat. People say, ‘Oh he’s laid back, he doesn’t try.’ That’s just so far from the truth. He’s shown what he’s capable of doing.”

Yes, they do it in a different manner. After the game, Erstad set down his beer and put on jeans and a T-shirt. Anderson put on pressed pants and a shirt and picked up his kid.

The Angels used to be all about Erstad and his style. If they’re going to win this division, a central focus will be Anderson and his bat. They’ll still look to Erstad for motivation.

“I just be myself,” Erstad said. “Whatever that entails. I’ll kick a butt every once in a while. You know who to do that to, who doesn’t need it.”

What about Anderson?

“He doesn’t need anything.”

Just let him be, and maybe even take a cue from him: Relax.

*

J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

*--* Turnaround When the Angels lost to Seattle, 1-0, on April 23, they fell to 0-6 this season against Seattle, and 6-14 overall-- the worst start in franchise history. Since then, they have gone 52-25 and defeated the Mariners four consecuti ve times. A look: First six games vs. Mariners Last four games vs. Mariners Record 0-6 4-0 Runs 15 39 Hits 38 57 2B 5 14 HR 1 4 BB 8 14 SO 31 21 Avg 198 377

*--*