Angels fall 1-0 as Orioles complete sweep

Torii Hunter has a solution for the Angels’ worst offensive funk of the season.

“All of us need to get a case of amnesia and forget about the past and try to come fresh tomorrow,” the right fielder said.

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FOR THE RECORD:
Angels baseball: The Angels game story in Monday’s Sports section said the Baltimore Orioles had the worst record in baseball. The Orioles at that point had the worst record only in the American League, at 48 wins and 83 losses. The Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League had a 43-87 record, the worst in the major leagues. —

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Even a mind eraser might not be able to make the Angels disregard the offensive struggles that sunk to another level Sunday at Angel Stadium during a 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Angels put a runner on third base twice with one out and failed to bring him home, concluding a series in which they scored only one run — on a balk in the first inning of Friday’s game. They have been held scoreless for a season-high 26 consecutive innings and were outscored, 9-1, during a three-game sweep by the team with the worst record in baseball.

“This is an extraordinarily long downturn that is obviously costing us our opportunity for a pennant race,” said Manager Mike Scioscia, who addressed his players after his team lost for the fifth time in six games to remain 10½ games behind first-place Texas in the American League West.

Scioscia again tinkered with his batting order, moving Reggie Willits into the leadoff spot and shifting Bobby Abreu from atop the lineup to the No. 3 hole.

The switch looked as if it might pay off when Willits doubled with one out in the ninth inning and went to third base when Howie Kendrick, who had grounded into an inning-ending double play to strand a runner on third in the sixth inning, hit a chopper over the mound for an infield single. Reliever Michael Gonzalez then struck out Abreu, triggering a two-out showdown between closer Koji Uehara and Hunter.

Hunter, recalling that Uehara had thrown him a first-pitch fastball for a strike Friday, looked for the same pitch and got it on Uehara’s initial delivery. But Hunter was late on the pitch and popped up to second baseman Ty Wigginton, sealing the Angels’ fifth shutout in their last 15 games.

“Offensively, this might be rock bottom,” Hunter said. “Right now we can only go up from here.”

The Angels wasted another sterling effort by Jered Weaver, who gave up only five hits and one run in eight innings, striking out 11 to regain the major league lead with 200. It was the third consecutive game Weaver has started in which the Angels have been shut out, and he acknowledged that the slim margin for error is wearing on him.

“Any time you go out there and you’re worried about giving up a solo homer and that might be the difference in the game, it’s never a good feeling to go out there and pitch like that,” Weaver said.

Weaver was practically perfect until Luke Scott led off the seventh inning with a single through the left side of the infield and moved up to third base on Wigginton’s double to left field. Weaver (11-10) struck out Corey Patterson, but Matt Wieters drove in Scott with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Jeremy Guthrie (8-13) gave up only four hits in 8 1/3 innings as the Orioles improved to 6-0 against the Angels this season, becoming the first team to sweep the Angels in a six-game season series since the Kansas City Royals in 1981.

The Angels have been shut out seven times and held to one run or fewer on 25 occasions, losing all 25 games.

“That’s embarrassing,” Hunter said of the Angels’ sustained offensive woes. “It’s like someone put a hex on us. It’s terrible.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com