Bad start dooms Angels in 4-3 loss to Rays

Scott Kazmir gave up four early runs, and that was the ballgame.

At least that’s the way it might have felt for Angels fans Monday night based on the way their team’s offense had been scoring runs lately. The Angels had been shut out three times in their last nine games and scored two runs or fewer five times in that span.

So when Kazmir dropped the Angels into a four-run hole in the second inning at Angel Stadium, the situation appeared hopeless for the home team.

Sure enough, the Angels came out on the short end of a 4-3 decision even after mounting what for them seemed like an epic comeback.

Their 102nd different lineup of the season, one that included Juan Rivera at first base, couldn’t generate enough offense. Rivera went 2 for 4 with a double but the Angels went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and Torii Hunter grounded into an inning-ending double play to quash one potential rally in the fifth inning.

Hideki Matsui got the Angels’ only clutch hit, crushing a third-inning double off center fielder B.J. Upton’s glove as he leaped at the wall in left-center, scoring two runs to halve the Angels’ deficit.

Peter Bourjos drew the Angels to within a run in the seventh inning after he led off with a single up the middle and then stole second base with one out, advancing to third when catcher Kelly Shoppach’s throw rolled into center field. Howie Kendrick drove in Bourjos with a fly ball to left field.

But it wasn’t enough as the final eight Angels batters went in order, including three feeble strikeouts against Rays closer Rafael Soriano in the ninth inning.

The Angels lost for the seventh time in 10 games to fall nine games behind Texas in the American League West. They play 11 of their next 17 games at home, where they are five games above .500, but they must start winning more often to have any chance at moving back into the postseason hunt.

Kazmir (8-11) put the Angels in an immediate bind when Upton blasted his first pitch over the left-field wall for a homer, and things only deteriorated from there. Kazmir then hit Jason Bartlett with a pitch and walked Carl Crawford before making an errant pickoff throw that allowed both runners to move up one base.

Ben Zobrist’s two-out single to right field provided a 3-0 lead that grew an inning later when former Angel Sean Rodriguez doubled off the heel of center fielder Bourjos’ glove and scored on Upton’s double to left.

Kazmir allowed five hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings, a pitching line that would have been worse had Bourjos not made an outstanding play on Upton’s drive to deep center field in the sixth. The center fielder leaped at the wall to make the catch and take away an extra-base hit that probably would have scored two runs.

Tampa Bay starter James Shields (12-11) held the Angels to two runs and eight hits in six-plus innings, notching his 55th victory with the Rays to tie Kazmir for the most victories in franchise history.

ben.bolch@latimes.com