Scioscia Is Looking to Give Lineup a Jolt

Mike Scioscia juggled the Angel lineup Monday in an attempt to shake his team out of its midseason doldrums, moving David Eckstein back to the top of the batting order and dropping Adam Kennedy to the bottom.

Eckstein and Kennedy responded with two hits apiece during the Angels’ 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Eckstein driving in Kennedy with an eighth-inning double that pulled the Angels to within a run. But Scott Spiezio, moved from second to fifth in the order to provide protection for Garret Anderson, was 0 for 3 with a walk to end his season-high 11-game hitting streak. Anderson extended his season-high hitting streak to 13 games with a leadoff single in the fourth.

Eckstein had not batted leadoff in 10 games since July 6, though he missed six of the games because of a bruised shoulder and a strained neck and back. Scioscia originally dropped Eckstein from the top to the bottom of the order June 24, ending a streak of 237 games in which the shortstop had led off.

Eckstein batted .371 with two homers and five runs batted in during the 11 games he hit in the No. 9 slot, convincing his manager that he was ready to resume his previous role.

“You get to actually watch the pitcher for a little longer,” Eckstein said of batting ninth. “That’s probably the only advantage, getting to see him face eight batters before you step in there. But once you step in there, it’s the same game.”

Said Scioscia: “Eck’s been giving a lot better at-bats. I think he’s seeing the ball better and there’s a lot of positive things we’re seeing. Hopefully, it will carry over into his natural spot of leadoff.”

Darin Erstad, who alternated with Jeff DaVanon and Chone Figgins in the leadoff spot while Eckstein hit ninth, returned Monday to the No. 2 spot he has occupied for 38 of his 51 starts. Erstad was hitless in four at-bats. Scioscia said he hoped to go with Eckstein and Erstad as the two batters atop the order for as long as possible, noting that he thinks it is the Angels’ most potent combination when both players are hitting well.

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Former Angel Al Levine, now a member of Tampa Bay’s pitching staff, finally received his World Series ring Monday, nearly nine months after the Angels defeated San Francisco in Game 7 at Edison Field.

Levine, who started last season as a setup man to closer Troy Percival but did not make the playoff roster, gleefully showed off the ring to his Devil Ray teammates before the game and then got two outs in the eighth to strand Eckstein at second.

“It’s a great feeling,” Levine said of receiving the ring, which he planned to store in a safety deposit box. “That’s your dream when you play this game. There are guys that have great careers and don’t win one.”

The Angels attributed the delay to a production glitch.