Angels are jilted in Toronto again

TORONTO -- For the Toronto Blue Jays, this was singles night. Invite single men and women to mingle during the game, sitting next to one person from the opposite sex for a few minutes and then moving quickly to another, with this slogan: 25 Dates, 9 Innings.

For the Angels, this was singles night too, with this slogan: 9 Innings, 1 Run.

For the second consecutive night, the Angels failed to get an extra-base hit and failed to win. After a 2-1 loss Wednesday, the Angels fessed up to two problems they have yet to solve: They can’t win here. They can’t score here.

The Angels have lost eight of their last nine games at the Rogers Centre, and they have failed to score more than three runs in any of those games. The last time they did -- on the day before the All-Star break in 2004 -- they started an outfield of Jose Guillen in left, Garret Anderson in center and Jeff DaVanon in right.

“For some reason, we don’t square the ball well up here,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“It’s a little dark,” leadoff batter Chone Figgins said.

The Rogers Centre features a retractable roof housed in an enormous structure atop center field. The roof has been open for both games of this series.

“I don’t know what it is,” center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. said. “I don’t want to place blame on the stadium. We just didn’t get it done. Sometimes you have to give them credit.”

After Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay pitched a five-hit complete game Tuesday, Shaun Marcum, Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo combined on a five-hitter Wednesday.

In his last four starts, Marcum has an earned-run average of 1.32. After he left -- with the Blue Jays leading 2-1 and one on and none out in the eighth inning -- the Angels had their chances.

Rookie Erick Aybar, who made two errors as the starting shortstop Tuesday, was picked off by Janssen. Scioscia said the Angels had the bunt on, so Aybar should have focused on getting a big lead after the ball was thrown, not before.

After consecutive walks to Figgins and Orlando Cabrera, Janssen had to face Vladimir Guerrero, with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Janssen struck him out swinging at a high fastball.

Guerrero did drive in the Angels’ lone run, with a single in the sixth inning. Still, in his last 35 at-bats, Guerrero is batting .229 with no home runs.

In the ninth, after Anderson started the inning with a single, Matthews lined a potential double down the first-base line -- and smack into the glove of first baseman Lyle Overbay. Anderson, who might have scored the tying run, instead was doubled off first base.

Matthews threw his hands to the sky, dropping his bat, an uncharacteristic display of emotion.

“You try not to be so emotional at times. It’s a really long season,” Matthews said.

“Frustration can build in this game. Sometimes it comes out.”

For all the Angels’ road problems -- they have the best home record in baseball, but they’re three games under .500 away from home -- only two teams in the American League (Boston and Detroit) have a winning record on the road.

But the Angels would like to win one game here.

Scioscia has canceled batting practice today, to minimize the time players spend on the artificial turf. It’s worth a shot.

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com