Angels’ problems have many causes
Reporting from Baltimore — The Angels’ fall from three consecutive division titles to a team that entered play Thursday with a sub-.500 record has involved plenty of culprits.
Third baseman Brandon Wood never hit .200 before being relegated to the bench. Outfielder Juan Rivera has only 40 runs batted in and it’s August.
The list of underachievers goes on.
Designated hitter Hideki Matsui is on pace for one of the worst seasons of his career. Pitcher Scott Kazmir is among the American League leaders … in earned runs allowed.
Nevertheless, Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels’ struggles are not the result of miscalculating the production they could expect from their roster before the season.
“It’s obvious that the evaluations haven’t panned out on a couple of guys,” Scioscia said. “But if you’re telling me we’re one game under .500 because of the evaluation process, I’m going to say, ‘No.’ I don’t believe that. I think there are some things that have happened.”
Like their top hitter being lost for the season when first baseman Kendry Morales suffered a freak leg injury during a celebration at home plate in late May. Catcher Jeff Mathis also missed nearly two months because of a broken right wrist, forcing the pitchers to adjust to a different set of catchers.
The injuries have forced the Angels to shuffle their infield and juggle their batting order, developments that have hindered some players’ production.
“There are some tangible reasons for why they’re underperforming,” Scioscia said. “I don’t think it’s a total black hole to figure out what’s happening.”
An offense that produced a lineup with nine batters hitting at least .300 last Aug. 18 has been mired in a season-long funk. The lineup the Angels used Thursday did not feature one .300 hitter, with Torii Hunter’s .292 batting average the best of the bunch.
“There are guys that we thought that even having reasonable — not career years — would be playing at a higher level, and it might still appear,” Scioscia said. “We have two months left. But up to this point, some guys have obviously struggled with some things.”
Pitching in
Two weeks and three starts after he was acquired to help the Angels make a postseason push, Dan Haren still is seeking his first victory with his new team.
In fact, Haren has not recorded a victory in 10 consecutive starts, the longest drought of his career. His last victory came two months and one team ago, when he pitched eight innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks against St. Louis.
“It’s been a long time for me,” Haren said after allowing 10 hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings Thursday during the Angels’ 5-4 loss to Baltimore at Camden Yards. “I’m still confident going out there; it’s not like I’m pitching not to lose. It’s been a little rough patch, and I’m sure things will turn around.”
Having a ball
Center fielder Peter Bourjos said he gave the ball from his first major league hit Wednesday to his father, Chris, who planned to put it in his home office next to the one from his first hit as an outfielder with the San Francisco Giants in 1980.
ben.bolch@latimes.com
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