What they don’t know could hurt

BOSTON -- The Angels have a history of struggling against pitchers they haven’t faced before -- just last week, in a pair of losses at Texas, they managed three runs and nine hits in 9 2/3 innings against September call-ups A.J. Murray and Luis Mendoza.

This could be a problem in the American League division series, when the Angels will get their first look at right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who will start Game 2 for Boston.

“He’s very talented, and we have not seen him, but you have to go out and play baseball, get in the [batter’s] box, and the adjustments have to come quickly,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “You can watch film and see what pitches he throws, but you have to experience it in the box before you can make adjustments.”

The Angels did just that against Rangers right-hander Armando Galarraga on Sept. 24. They went hitless against the rookie right-hander for four innings but measured him in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits.

Matsuzaka, though, has an unorthodox delivery and a wide array of off-speed and breaking pitches and could be a much tougher case to solve. After going 1-4 with an 8.15 earned-run average in seven starts, Matsuzaka gave up two runs and six hits in eight innings Friday against Minnesota.

“It works both ways,” Scioscia said. “Sometimes you feel comfortable against pitchers right away, and sometimes it takes 50 at-bats against a guy to feel comfortable. But the first time a pitcher faces a hitter, a slight advantage goes to the pitcher because the hitters aren’t familiar with his stuff. But it can go the other way in two or three pitches.”

The Red Sox announced Monday that Matsuzaka would pitch Game 2 and right-hander Curt Schilling’s start would be pushed back to Game 3 on Sunday to give him two extra days of rest. If the series goes five games, Schilling would be in line to start the opener of the AL Championship Series.

“We’re trying to gear up for 2 1/2 to three weeks of starts and we’re hoping this will be the best way of getting the maximum out of Schilling,” Manager Terry Francona said.

Francona’s quote might not sit well with the Angels, who could take it as a sign the Red Sox might be looking past them.

Schilling’s most recent start was last Tuesday against Oakland, when he gave up one run in six innings of a 7-3 win.

Francona said his team would use a three-man rotation in the first round, with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield moving to the bullpen.

Three seasons after Orlando Cabrera helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series, Red Sox fans still show their appreciation for the Angels shortstop, though their reaction has faded from rousing standing ovations for Cabrera in 2005 to warm clapping this season.

Cabrera is not expecting the same treatment this week, when he is more than an enemy combatant -- he’s one who could stand in the way of Boston’s reaching the ALCS.

“It’s going to be different this time, this is not going to be a friendly song,” Cabrera said. “Shoot, if I was a Red Sox fan, I wouldn’t give myself a warm welcome.”

Boston’s decision to choose the eight-day division series schedule beginning Wednesday rather than the seven-day series beginning Thursday didn’t involve any hand-wringing over how each format would impact the team’s playoff rotation or roster, or what would give the Red Sox the best chance against the Angels.

“We had a choice, so we took the first game,” Francona told reporters Sunday. “We won’t have to wait three days to play.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com