Scott Kazmir’s struggles continue in 9-2 loss to White Sox

Reporting from Chicago — Just when it seemed things couldn’t get much worse for Scott Kazmir, the Angels starter’s slide deepened Monday.

The left-hander gave up three home runs and a season-high-tying seven runs in 6 1/3 innings during the Angels’ 9-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

It was as many homers as Kazmir (7-8) had allowed in his previous six starts combined, and it brought to a screeching halt a stretch in which Angels starters had allowed just five earned runs in their previous four starts combined.

Kazmir has lost his last three starts, compiling a 10.43 earned-run average and averaging fewer than five innings per outing.

The Angels trailed only 2-1 when Kazmir unraveled a bit with two out in the sixth inning. Paul Konerko reached out and slapped a full-count fastball into left field for a run-scoring single, and Carlos Quentin followed the first of his two homers, a two-run shot over the left-field wall to increase the White Sox’s cushion to 5-1.

Chicago’s Dayan Viciedo added a solo homer in the seventh, and Angels Manager Mike Scioscia removed Kazmir after he walked the next two batters. Reliever Rich Thompson then gave up a RBI single to Alexei Ramirez.

The Angels fielded a piecemeal lineup, with three players — first baseman Paul McAnulty, right fielder Cory Aldridge and third baseman Kevin Frandsen — who were well off their radar when the season started. It was Aldridge’s second major league start, and his first since playing for Atlanta on Oct. 6, 2001.

The trio combined to go hitless in 10 at-bats with one walk.

Of course, the regulars didn’t do much to help either. Bobby Abreu, confined to designated hitter one day after taking a pitch off the area just above his right elbow, drove in the Angels’ first run with a sixth-inning groundout.

Bobby Wilson scored the Angels’ second run in the eighth when he walked and eventually came home on Howie Kendrick’s single up the middle. The Angels then loaded the bases with two out on back-to-back walks to Torii Hunter and Hideki Matsui. But Chicago reliever Sergio Santos struck out pinch-hitter Mike Napoli to end the threat.

The Angels committed a pair of errors, including a rare blunder by Hunter. The nine-time Gold Glove winner called off second baseman Kendrick on Viciedo’s fifth-inning fly ball only to have the ball nick off Hunter’s glove in shallow center field for his first error since last Sept. 18 at Texas.

ben.bolch@latimes.com