Angels’ road show flops in Texas, 8-7

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Angels went on the road in search of home-field advantage in the playoffs with a team that plays .500 ball on the road and a pitcher who rarely wins on the road.

Something about this equation didn’t add up Monday night, and the result was an almost predictable 8-7 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Ervin Santana gave up six runs and eight hits, including a three-run home run to Michael Young and a two-run homer to Marlon Byrd, in five innings to fall to 7-14 this season and 1-10 with an 8.50 earned-run average on the road.

The Angels nearly out-hit Santana’s mistakes, putting together a five-run fifth inning that featured Casey Kotchman’s two-run homer and Howie Kendrick’s run-scoring double, and Juan Rivera’s two-run double in the eighth cut the Angels’ deficit to 8-7.

But closer Wes Littleton retired the side in order in the ninth, and the Angels, who clinched the American League West title Sunday, fell a game behind Cleveland and half a game behind Boston in the race for the league’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

One day after the Angels’ wild division-clinching party, Manager Mike Scioscia gave designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, left fielder Garret Anderson -- who had started 47 of the previous 48 games -- and catcher Jeff Mathis the night off.

Still, six regulars -- Kotchman, Kendrick, Chone Figgins, Orlando Cabrera, Gary Matthews Jr. and Maicer Izturis -- were in the lineup, so it wasn’t as if Scioscia sent out the junior varsity.

“We’re going to try to win every game, but that doesn’t mean guys won’t get days off,” Scioscia said. “These guys will get enough at-bats to stay sharp. But they’re going to get enough time off to recharge too. That’s the most important thing.”

More important than home-field advantage?

The Angels have a major league-best 54-27 record at home and are 38-38 on the road. They hit .305 in Angel Stadium, the third-highest home batting average in the AL since 1957 behind Boston in 2003 (.316) and 1979 (.306). They’re averaging 5.7 runs a game at home, 4.7 on the road.

“It’s very important because we play better at home than anybody in the league,” pitcher Kelvim Escobar said. “We will play hard and see if we can get the best record. It would also be good to start at home because we [finish in Oakland]. It would be a short trip home. We wouldn’t have to fly all the way across the country [for Game 1].”

No matter where the Angels start, the once-promising and now erratic Santana won’t be in the playoff rotation. The Angels are expected to go with a 10-man pitching staff in the first round, leaving Santana to battle Dustin Moseley and Chris Bootcheck for the final bullpen spot.

Santana pitched well in relief in the 2005 division series-clinching win over the New York Yankees and threw three scoreless relief innings in Chicago on Sept. 14. Is he confident he could handle such a role, considering he has so little experience?

“Absolutely,” Santana said through an interpreter. “Even though I’ve only done it a couple of times, it’s a different season, and I know every single pitch counts, especially out of the bullpen. I’m ready for the challenge.”

The right-hander, who was demoted to triple-A Salt Lake for a month this season, seemed to make progress with a 2-1 record and 1.27 ERA in his previous four appearances, three starts.

But he gave up a run in the first and three in the third Monday night, and after the Angels took a 5-4 lead in the fifth, Santana gave it right back in the bottom of the fifth, giving up Byrd’s two-run shot.

Santana is 1-4 with an 8.92 ERA in seven career starts in Texas.

“I thought his stuff looked good,” Scioscia said. “Obviously, the results weren’t.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com