Day Off Is Long Time Coming

And on the 25th day, the Angels rested, their grueling string of 24 games in 24 days finally ending Sunday and their first day off since July 27 coming today.

The Angels were 14-10 during the stretch, absorbing their share of bumps and bruises along the way, with Garret Anderson (lower-back tightness) and Maicer Izturis (tight right hamstring) each sitting out a handful of games and Vladimir Guerrero (sore right foot) relegated to designated hitter in six of the last 10 games.

The back of the bullpen was stretched thin, with closer Francisco Rodriguez and Scot Shields each pitching in six of nine games from Aug. 11 through Saturday.

Outfielder Juan Rivera started in 46 consecutive games before getting Thursday off, shortstop Orlando Cabrera started 31 in a row before getting Tuesday off, and the Angels were short-handed for the series against Seattle because second baseman Adam Kennedy and reliever Kevin Gregg were serving suspensions stemming from Wednesday’s beanball exchange and benches-clearing brawl with the Texas Rangers.

“It’s well deserved and much needed,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of today’s breather. “We’ve used practically the whole roster, especially with the suspensions. It’s been a grind, but these guys have gone through this last stretch remarkably well.

“The day off comes at a great time. We’re in a little stretch where we’ve got some built-in days off and it will help in a number of areas. It will help with our starting pitchers to give them that extra day. These guys need to recharge a bit.”

*

Kennedy watched one game from home. He watched another from the Diamond Club area behind home plate. Saturday night, Kennedy watched the game at a steakhouse in Newport Beach, where few patrons recognized the Angels second baseman.

“But they were probably wondering who this crazy guy was who was so into the game on television,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy had never been suspended in his seven-year career and said watching the Angels from afar was “strange, a little unsettling of a feeling.”

But Tuesday night, Kennedy will be back in uniform against the Boston Red Sox; his four-game penalty for charging the mound Wednesday ended Sunday.

“You definitely realize how locked into your routine you get when you’re taken out of it,” Kennedy said. “I can’t wait to get back.”

*

Two obvious pinch-hit situations arose Sunday when Robb Quinlan, who plays mostly against left-handers, faced right-handed relievers with runners on second and two outs, in the sixth and eighth innings.

But Quinlan remained in the game both times, popping out to end the sixth and striking out to end the eighth, because switch-hitting Izturis aggravated his hamstring injury Saturday and was not available.

“It’s been a little tight for the last eight to 10 days,” Scioscia said of Izturis. “We’re trying to nurse him through it.”

*

Seattle has lost 20 consecutive games to American League West opponents, a major league record.... The Angels’ four-game sweep of Seattle was their first over the Mariners since Aug. 7-10, 1986, in Anaheim.