It’s an offensive extravaganza for Angels in 12-3 win over Rays
When there’s a fan in the first row behind the backstop wearing a No. 59 Esteban Yan jersey, a salute to the obscure and often ineffective middle reliever who played for the Angels in 2005 and 2006, you get the feeling anything is possible.
What transpired on a steamy, 91-degree afternoon in Angel Stadium was nothing short of extraordinary, a team whose bats were so cold they were practically cryogenic catching fire for a day.
Mike Napoli drove in a career-high six runs, four on a third-inning grand slam, Howie Kendrick had a career-high five hits, and Hideki Matsui had a big three-run double in the first to lead the Angels to a 12-3 victory Wednesday over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Angels, held to two runs or fewer 39 times this year, racked up 17 hits and scored more runs (eight) in the first three innings than they did in their previous three games combined.
After hitting .065 (three for 46) with runners in scoring position the previous five games and .144 (17 for 118) over the last 15 games, the Angels went seven for 19 in those situations Wednesday.
Leading the way with his grand slam, his first-inning RBI double and fourth-inning bases-loaded walk was Napoli, the first baseman who was hitting .189 (17 for 90) with runners in scoring position on the season.
“I had a good day,” said Napoli, who came up for a third time with the bases loaded but popped out in the fifth. “I had a chance for a tremendous day, but I’m happy with the day. We got the win.”
Could this be the kind of game that jump-starts the offense?
“Ask me in about two weeks,” Manager Mike Scioscia said, knowing full well how incapable the Angels have been of sustaining a consistent attack. “We’re looking to get back into the race, and to do that these guys need to play with focus, with intensity.
“They have to understand the adjustments they need to make. It’s a process. It’s not going to be one game, one at-bat. … We think this team has upside. That showed on the field today, and it needs to show up on a more regular basis.”
The beneficiary of the offensive windfall was right-hander Dan Haren, who gave up one run — on a leadoff home run to John Jaso in the first — and three hits in six innings, striking out eight and walking four, and improved to 2-4 as an Angel.
The Angels scored as many runs in the first inning — four — as they had in any of Haren’s first six starts with the Angels.
“We needed to put up some runs for the pitchers and take some pressure off those guys,” Napoli said. “With 2-and-1 counts, they can throw fastballs instead of giving in. The starting pitchers have been keeping us in games. We want to put up runs.”
Kendrick and Matsui have been doing their part. Kendrick had a double and four singles, the first five-hit game by an Angel since Kendry Morales against Oakland on Aug. 28, 2009.
The second baseman, who also scored twice and drove in a run, is batting .529 (18 for 34) over his last eight games, pushing his season average from .269 to .285.
“A guy is hitting .270 and it’s considered struggling — that’s quite a compliment,” Scioscia said. “He has the potential to be a .300 hitter. He hasn’t gotten there yet, but he’s feeling more comfortable in the box, laying off some good pitcher’s pitches, getting into better hitting counts and using the whole field.”
Matsui, whose three-run double to right off Jeff Niemann gave the Angels a 3-1 lead, also drew two walks, reached on an infield single and scored three runs, giving him 18 hits in his last 35 at-bats, a .514 eight-game clip.
“His last 20 at-bats, he’s swinging with much more authority and confidence,” Scioscia said of Matsui, who is batting .266 with 69 RBIs, one fewer than team RBI leader Torii Hunter. “And he’s gotten some big hits along the way.”
mike.digiovanna@latimes.com
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