Bottom Line Is, Angels at Top

A month ago, the Angels were bottom dwellers, buried in last place in the American League West, seven games back. For the last two days they’ve been bottom feeders, relying on the tail end of their lineup to chew up opposing pitchers and push the team to the top of the division.

Still think of the Angels’ offense as Vladimir Guerrero and the eight dwarfs? Tell that to Adam Kennedy, the No. 8 batter who hit a second-inning sacrifice fly and capped a four-run rally in the third with a two-run double to help the Angels beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 8-4, in Tropicana Field on Monday night.

Or No. 9 batter Robb Quinlan, who knocked in two key insurance runs with a seventh-inning single, one day after his two-run single in the fourth inning provided the margin of victory in a 3-1 win over Kansas City.

Or No. 7 hitter Mike Napoli, who walked twice and scored twice Monday. Or No. 6 hitter Juan Rivera, whose torrid hitting continued with a single, a sacrifice fly and a prodigious solo home run in the fifth, his eighth homer in the last 17 games.

Struggling No. 5 hitter Garret Anderson, who had one hit in his previous 18 at-bats, had three singles, scored three runs and drove in a run to back the strong pitching of John Lackey, who gave up four runs -- two earned -- and five hits in eight innings to improve to 9-6.

And the Angels, who staggered into July with a 35-44 record, pulled even with the Oakland Athletics atop the AL West with a 51-48 record, the first time the Angels have been in first place since April 29.

“That’s what it’s going to take,” Kennedy said of the Angels’ balanced attack. “It’s too easy for other teams to pitch around a couple of guys in the lineup. Teams that are in contention are solid throughout. We’ve got to take that responsibility down at the bottom.”

Starting pitching and the lethal bats of Guerrero (.405, four homers, 20 RBIs in 22 games) and Rivera (.351, nine homers, 17 RBIs in 20 games) fueled the Angels’ 13-1 run to start July, and Rivera made a few more jaws drop with his 427-foot home run that sailed deep into the left-field seats Monday night.

“Geez,” Manager Mike Scioscia said in admiration. “That ball was properly hit. He’s given us a big lift, to say the least.”

But contributions have been pouring in from other precincts lately, and that has added depth to a lineup that seemed as shallow as a puddle after a light drizzle just a month ago.

While shortstop Orlando Cabrera cooled in July, leadoff batter Chone Figgins and No. 2 hitter Maicer Izturis began to heat up. Napoli, the rookie catcher, has combined power (12 homers) and on-base percentage (.407), and Quinlan is showing he can do more than hit left-handers.

In fact, the Angels have so much confidence in Quinlan that they optioned struggling Kendry Morales to triple-A Salt Lake after Monday’s game and essentially handed the first-base job to Quinlan, who is hitting .305 with five homers and 20 RBIs in just 128 at-bats this season.

Outfielder Curtis Pride was recalled from Salt Lake to provide a left-handed bat off the bench. Quinlan, about as unassuming as a big leaguer can be, did not act as if he had won anything.

“Nothing has been said,” Quinlan said. “I just come to the field ready to play because you never know when you’re going to be in the lineup.... You have to have that same attitude every day.

“Even when I just played against left-handers, I came to the park every day expecting to play because you never know when you’ll be in the lineup or when you’ll be called on to do something later in the game.”

Morales, who hit .409 with two homers and six RBIs in his first five games after his May 23 call-up and .217 in 45 games since, had an inkling he might be demoted.

“I’m not disappointed,” the Cuban rookie said through a translator. “I’m not swinging the bat that good. That’s the main problem right now. I’m going to work hard to try to get back here.”