Shields Struggles to Find Some Consistency

Every time Scot Shields thinks the bumpy stretch he’s enduring has abated, the Angels reliever hits another patch of turbulence.

He had alternated scoreless and scored-upon outings over his last seven appearances before the Angels played the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at Angel Stadium, culminating Tuesday against Baltimore with his third blown save in that period.

The pattern continued Friday when he retired the only batter he faced in the eighth inning.

“I can’t go out there and pitch like I know I can,” said the setup man, who has given up 10 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings of his last 14 appearances. “But I feel good, so that’s encouraging; it’s just that I’ve happened to give up some runs lately.”

Shields, who corrected a mechanical flaw in his delivery that hindered his command last month, attributed his recent struggles to pitch execution.

“There’s been a couple of times where I’ve made one mistake and that’s what hurt me,” Shields said, noting in particular a pitch he left over the middle of the plate Tuesday, which Baltimore’s Jay Gibbons crushed for a double.

Angels pitching coach Bud Black said he was not worried that the normally dependable right-hander might fall into a deeper funk.

“This is a little bit of a blip on the radar, more so than any other time this year or past years, but it happens to the best of them,” Black said. “He’s been as reliable a pitcher over the years for us as anybody. He’s arguably the best setup man in the game.”

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If Brendan Donnelly’s appeal of his four-game suspension isn’t heard by the end of next week, the reliever could drop his protest to ensure he is available for the Angels’ season-ending stretch of seven games in 10 days against division-leading Oakland. Donnelly acknowledged that possibility Friday but said, “It’s too early to answer that question.”

Manager Mike Scioscia said he thought Donnelly’s appeal of his suspension for allegedly intentionally hitting a Texas batter Aug. 16 after warnings had been issued would be heard “sometime in the middle of the month” now that Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president of on-field operations, had returned from a trip to Cuba.

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The Angels’ bench could be bolstered in the next day or so by several triple-A players, including Dallas McPherson, Kendry Morales and Tommy Murphy, once their minor league season ends. The Salt Lake Bees were close to elimination Friday night in their best-of-five Pacific Coast League playoff series with Tucson after dropping the first two games.... The Angels are sponsoring a baseball and softball equipment drive today. The first 1,000 fans who bring new or used equipment to Angel Stadium or donate at least $10 will receive a Tim Salmon 1,000th RBI commemorative pin. The equipment will be donated to local youth leagues.

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ben.bolch@latimes.com