Some Hard Knocks, but No Luck

The Angels out-hit Boston in all three games of a weekend series in Fenway Park and had one victory to show for it. That theme was present in the first four innings of Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Red Sox, when the Angels ripped several shots off Boston starter Wade Miller and had nothing to show for it.

Steve Finley lined out to first baseman John Olerud to end the first inning, and after Garret Anderson led off the second with a single, Dallas McPherson grounded into a double play.

Miller’s biggest pitch of the day was an 87-mph cut fastball that Finley swung through for strike three with the bases loaded to end the third.

Center fielder Jay Payton made a leaping catch of Anderson’s drive to deep center in the fourth, and after McPherson doubled and Jeff DaVanon walked, Bengie Molina grounded into a double play.

“Early on we squared some balls up and hit some balls right at people,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “And Miller made some good pitches in some big situations.”

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The Angels will lose the designated hitter again this week when they resume interleague play with three games in Atlanta and three in New York. Not that that’s a huge loss for the Angels, whose designated hitters have combined to bat .234 with one home run and 16 runs batted in.

“We don’t have the prototypical DH, the guy who hits third, fourth or fifth -- we’re more of a mix-and-match team,” said Scioscia, whose Angels might be more suited to the National League style of play than some NL teams. “We lose some offense, but it’s a minimum compared to what it could be.”

Scioscia, who played his whole career with the Dodgers, admits he thought American League teams used less strategy because of the DH.

But in his sixth season as an AL manager, Scioscia now believes “the baseball the NL prides itself in is more alive with the DH. Whether you’re using a sacrifice bunt early or putting runners in motion at the bottom of the lineup, that stuff is more prevalent with the DH.”

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ON DECK

Opponent -- Atlanta Braves, three games.

Site -- Turner Field, Atlanta.

TV -- Channel 9 today and Tuesday; FSN West Wednesday.

Radio -- 710, 1020.

Records -- 32-24, Braves 30-26.

Record vs. Braves -- First meeting.

Tonight, 4:30 PDT -- John Lackey (5-2, 4.01) vs. John Smoltz (4-4, 3.12).

Tuesday, 4:30 -- Paul Byrd (5-4, 4.44) vs. Horacio Ramirez (3-4, 5.43).

Wednesday, 4 -- Kelvim Escobar (2-2, 2.97) vs. Tim Hudson (6-4, 3.08).