Willits, Angels keep it going

Magglio Ordonez, Ichiro Suzuki, Reggie Willits, Derek Jeter and Placido Polanco. OK, which one looks out of place?

Willits, the 25-year-old rookie from Oklahoma, may seem like the odd man in this list of the American League’s top five hitters, but he has been a perfect fit at the top of the Angels’ batting order.

The switch-hitter went four for six with a pair of run-scoring doubles to lead the Angels back from a four-run deficit Friday night, setting the stage for their sixth come-from-behind victory in their last seven wins.

Chone Figgins, who had six hits to lead Monday night’s win over Houston, tripled with one out in the 11th inning, and Orlando Cabrera followed with a fly ball that bounced off the warning track in left, a walk-off single that gave the Angels a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in Angel Stadium.

Chris Bootcheck, Francisco Rodriguez and Scot Shields combined for five innings of scoreless, one-hit relief, and Cabrera had three hits, three RBIs and three superb defensive plays in the hole, as the Angels piled up 18 hits to improve to 30-11 since May 9 and increased their lead over Oakland in the American League West to seven games.

The Angels have 17 or more hits in six of their last 12 games.

And then there was Willits, who bumped his average to .347 and leapfrogged over Jorge Posada, Polanco and Jeter and into third on the list of AL batting leaders, behind Ordonez (.383) and Suzuki (.358).

“I didn’t even know I had enough at-bats to qualify,” said Willits, who took over for the injured Garret Anderson in left field April 28. “I don’t know what to think.”

What he won’t think is he has it made, that this game is easy.

“Baseball is a game that can change fast.” Willits said. “You’re only as good as what you did that day.”

The Angels were 17-16 on May 8, shortly after the ultra-patient Willits moved into the lineup. It is no coincidence the Angels have baseball’s best record since.

“He’s the one guy you can point to when we inserted him in the lineup every day,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We found some offensive chemistry. It wasn’t just him, but he’s been a big part of it. He filled a big need we had for setting the table in the middle of the lineup.”

The Angels set the table all night but didn’t clean up much, going two for 14 with runners in scoring position, but they began to cut into Pittsburgh’s 4-0 lead on Cabrera’s solo home run in the sixth. Willits’ RBI double and Cabrera’s RBI single made it 4-3 in the seventh.

Howie Kendrick led off the eighth with a single but was rubbed out on Shea Hillenbrand’s fielder’s-choice grounder. Scioscia replaced Hillenbrand with speedy pinch-runner Nathan Haynes, and Willits lined a ball that split the gap in left-center. Haynes turned on the jets and dived home with the tying run.

The Pirates, coming off consecutive shutouts at the hands of Seattle’s Jeff Weaver and Felix Rodriguez, ended a consecutive scoreless streak of 20 innings in the first inning, and Jason Bay’s two-run homer made it 4-0 in the third.

Joe Saunders, who was called up from triple-A Salt Lake to replace the injured Jered Weaver, blanked the Pirates over his last three innings, though, giving the Angels a chance to come back. The left-hander was optioned back to Salt Lake after the game, and the team recalled first baseman Kendry Morales.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com