Escobar Says He’s Over It

Kelvim Escobar swears there is no ill will toward the Chicago White Sox.

Escobar starts tonight against Chicago for the first time since April 29, when he nailed White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski at Angel Stadium, extending the history between the two players.

Escobar was on the mound in last fall’s playoff game when Pierzynski ran to first base when then-Angels catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball back to the mound after a debated dropped third strike. Pierzynski reached safely, prolonging the inning, and the White Sox went on to win the game and then the American League championship series.

White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen called Escobar “dumb” after this year’s incident and accused him of throwing at Pierzynski on purpose.

Escobar initially vowed revenge for the comments, but Sunday, he said the incident was behind him.

“It happened a long time ago, so I don’t even think about it,” Escobar said. “It’s over. I just worry about my game and worry about pitching.”

Escobar was scheduled to pitch May 11 against Chicago, but the game was rained out. Tonight’s makeup game for that date also fell on his turn in the rotation.

“It’s weird, huh?” Escobar said.

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With Chone Figgins in center, Maicer Izturis at third base and rookie Howie Kendrick at first, the Angels consistently play five players with middle-infield roots.

The position merry-go-round may be a factor in the club’s defensive play this year. The Angels lead the American League with 87 errors, including Sunday’s miscue in the third inning, when Adam Kennedy made an errant throw to Kendrick that a veteran first baseman probably would have scooped.

But Manager Mike Scioscia isn’t concerned.

“If you don’t keep an open eye on moving guys around, then you are going to miss out on the Figginses and the types of guys who can play different positions,” he said.

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Because today’s makeup game is scheduled on an original day off, the Angels are in the middle of playing on 24 consecutive days.

Scioscia said that he plans to rest a number of his starters over the next couple of weeks.

“When you can combine a day off with giving a guy a game off before that, sometimes two days are what a guy needs to move ahead,” Scioscia said. “We don’t have the ability to use that, so we are going to have to find ways to keep guys fresh.”

In preparation for the trip and because the Angels are facing a slew of left-handers in the next few days, Scioscia found a way to give Vladimir Guerrero a reprieve by utilizing him as the designated hitter Sunday.

The plan was to rest Guerrero’s legs for a day and allow Tim Salmon to occupy the DH role against the upcoming left-handers.

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Izturis left the game because of a tight right hamstring after a first-inning single, but he should be available today. Robb Quinlan replaced him at third.... Jose Molina received a second consecutive start behind the plate in place of Mike Napoli, who is in a three-for-37 skid.... Kendrick singled twice to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest of any AL rookie this season.... With a homer and single, Garret Anderson extended his season-high hitting streak to 11 games.