Angels’ Bats Do the Talking

The Angels were steaming Tuesday night, and it had nothing to do with the 101-degree temperatures in Ameriquest Field.

The Texas Rangers, tired of Vladimir Guerrero using them as a punching bag, resorted to what the Angels considered head-hunting tactics, drilling the slugger on the left forearm with one pitch and throwing two more pitches near his helmet.

Guerrero countered the best way he knows, clubbing an emotion-charged, three-run home run after nearly being beaned in the fourth inning.

Angels outfielder Juan Rivera was also hit in the fourth, resulting in the ejection of Rangers starter Vicente Padilla and Manager Buck Showalter and furthering hostilities that began in Anaheim on Aug. 6, when Texas’ Adam Eaton was ejected in the first when his next pitch after Garret Anderson’s three-run homer went behind Rivera.

Amid such high tension, Chone Figgins keyed a three-run eighth inning with a two-run triple that led the Angels to a 9-7 come-from-behind victory, a win made all the more sweeter considering the circumstances.

“The nature of the win was big ... but that part of it is disturbing and unfortunate,” Manager Mike Scioscia said, alluding to the high-and-tight pitches and hit batsmen. “I don’t know what message they’re trying to send, but that’s a couple times our guys have been thrown at, and I’m sure the league is going to take some action.

“We pitch aggressively inside as much as anyone, and you’re going to hit your share of batters. But when you’re throwing at guys on the counts they were throwing on and up near Vlad’s head, there’s no place in the game for that.”

Padilla, who leads the American League with 14 hit batters and is known to have a temper, lost control of a sidearm fastball in third, hitting Guerrero in the left forearm, a pitch the Angels didn’t think was intentional.

“I give him the benefit of the doubt on that,” second baseman Adam Kennedy said.

But Padilla’s first-pitch, up-and-in fastball that backed Guerrero off the plate in the fourth was suspicious enough for umpire Hunter Wendelstedt to issue warnings to both benches.

Guerrero, after two mighty swings and misses, exacted revenge by driving a three-run home run to right field, his 27th of the season, to give the Angels a 6-3 lead. Garret Anderson lined out to center, and Padilla, on a 2-and-0 pitch to Rivera, drilled him on the left hip.

Rivera looked disgusted, thrusting his hands to his side, glaring at Padilla. Showalter and Padilla were ejected, neither putting up any resistance.

In the eighth, Texas reliever Wes Littleton, after giving up three runs on Curtis Pride’s pinch-hit single, Reggie Willits’ double, Figgins’ two-run triple and Maicer Izturis’ RBI fielder’s choice, buzzed a fastball near Guerrero’s chin.

The Angels bench erupted in anger, demanding an ejection, but Wendelstedt allowed Littleton to remain in the game. “That was unfortunate for Littleton, because I don’t think he was throwing at him,” Kennedy said, “but it looks bad because of everything else that happened.”

Were the Rangers trying to send a message?

“Gosh, I don’t know,” Kennedy said. “But they can keep doing it as far as we’re concerned, because an angry Vlad is good for the Angels. If you’re going to do that, expect him to be rounding the bases soon, because he doesn’t like that too much. If they’re trying to send a message, that’s the wrong thought process.”

Guerrero, who has a .442 average with 17 homers and 41 RBIs against Texas, and Rivera declined comment, as did Padilla, who does not speak to reporters.

Had Angels starter Ervin Santana, who gave up six runs and seven hits, including three homers, in five innings, or any Angels reliever retaliated, he would have been ejected and probably suspended.

But Kennedy hinted that retribution could come later. Asked if the Angels felt a need to retaliate, Kennedy said, “Not tonight -- that’s not something we do as a team. But Vlad is our guy, we love him, and if someone has it on his mind” to retaliate, “who knows what will happen?”