A Solid Late-Season Audition by Owens

Reserve outfielder Eric Owens, who has raised his batting average from .211 to .262 over the last three weeks, hopes he can use the final month of the season to showcase the skills that prompted the Angels to sign him to a one-year free-agent contract last winter.

“I’ve got a lot of making up to do,” said Owens, who extended his season-high hitting streak to eight games Wednesday with a first-inning single against Minnesota at Edison Field. “I have to try and go out and build on it and show them the reason why they brought me over here and the reason why I want to be back here.”

Owens, in his fifth full major league season and first in the American League, has largely been a disappointment. He has only one home run and 16 runs batted in and has made four errors. He also has a .200 average as a pinch-hitter.

“It’s been a time of adjustment for him moving to a new league,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We know he’s a better player than we saw sometimes earlier in the first half.”

Owens, hitting .486 over his last 12 games, said the secret to his recent success has been increased at-bats. More playing time could bolster Owens’ attempt to return to the Angels next season -- if he continues the torrid pace.

“The more at-bats you get, the better you feel,” Owens said.

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Robb Quinlan, a native of Maplewood, Minn., was delighted Tuesday to be sitting in the dugout across from the team he cheered on to World Series victories as a youngster in 1987 and 1991, the team his older brother Tom played third base for in 1996.

Of course, Quinlan would have preferred if his vantage point had been first base, but the prospect’s playing time has diminished since the Angels promoted Adam Riggs on Aug. 14. Quinlan, hitting .333 through Aug. 12, made only his third start since then Wednesday when he was the designated hitter. Riggs and Scott Spiezio have received the bulk of playing time recently at first base.

“Obviously, you want to be out there every day playing,” said Quinlan, whose batting average has dipped to .297 in the wake of a three-for-20 skid. “But there’s a lot of guys they called up here from Salt Lake, and they’re giving everyone an opportunity to play.”

Scioscia said Quinlan hasn’t been starting as much recently because Riggs and Spiezio have been hot. Riggs is hitting .355 with a home run in every 10.3 at-bats since his promotion, and Spiezio has hit safely in 16 of his last 21 games.

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The Angels do not plan a switch to a six-man rotation to audition a replacement for released veteran Kevin Appier when September callups arrive next week, Scioscia said.