Another tough loss for Lowe

Once again, Derek Lowe finished the job with an incomplete feeling.

For the second time in his last three starts, the Dodgers starter pitched a complete game and came out on the losing end under maddening circumstances.

On May 10, he grooved a pitch to Josh Willingham that resulted in a walk-off, three-run homer by the Florida slugger in the ninth inning.

On Sunday, the sinkerball specialist had his best pitch working against the Angels and induced plenty of grounders.

The only problem was they proved to be troublesome for a struggling Dodgers defense that committed two more errors and ranks last in the National League with 36 after a 4-1 loss to the Angels in the Freeway Series finale.

“That’s being a groundball pitcher,” Lowe said. “You’ve got to take the good with the bad, and sometimes they find holes and sometimes they hit them at people.”

The Angels broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning in which all five of their hits came on ground balls, including three that never left the infield.

Erick Aybar led off with a chopper that Lowe fielded behind the mound for a single. Jose Molina then laced a hit-and-run single through the hole vacated at second base to put runners on first and third.

Things briefly turned in the Dodgers’ favor when Tommy Murphy hit a grounder to first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, who threw home to get Aybar at the plate despite a collision with catcher Russell Martin, and Lowe struck out Reggie Willits for the second out.

But Orlando Cabrera grounded to third baseman Wilson Betemit, who couldn’t get the ball out of his glove in time to throw out the runner.

Vladimir Guerrero then hit a bases-loaded single to shortstop Rafael Furcal, who fielded the ball behind second base, whirled and made an errant throw that Garciaparra couldn’t handle. Two runs scored on the play.

The final blow came on Gary Matthews Jr.’s run-scoring single up the middle that Lowe tried to field but couldn’t, instead winding up face-down on the mound.

“It was just a weird inning all the way,” said Lowe (4-5), who was still on the mound three innings later. His final pitching line: nine hits and four runs -- three earned -- in eight innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

Said Manager Grady Little: “Derek had about the best stuff he’s had all season long ... and he deserved a much better fate than he came away with.

“If he continues throwing like that, he’s going to win a lot of games for us this year.

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Minor league outfield prospects Matt Kemp and Delwyn Young were reportedly involved in a shoving match before triple-A Las Vegas’ game against Portland on Thursday. Neither player was in the lineup that night but both played the following day.... Jason Schmidt, who hasn’t pitched since April 14 because of shoulder inflammation, threw about 60 pitches in the bullpen.

ben.bolch@latimes.com