Brandon Wood gets big boost in Angels’ win over Tampa Bay

Brandon Wood stood in front of his locker in the bowels of Tropicana Field, speechless but wearing an ear-to-ear smile. Which was a significant development in a season that has given Wood little reason to smile.

There’s the .157 batting average, for example. Or the 60 strikeouts — versus four walks — in 197 at-bats. And the …

Well, you get the picture.

So while the ninth-inning home run he struck Friday to beat Tampa Bay, 4-3, won’t erase any of that, it did push the black clouds away for at least a night.

And it left teammate Kevin Frandsen only too happy to act as Wood’s spokesperson afterward. When Wood shyly offered a couple of bland answers to reporters, Frandsen took over.

“Is that all you’re going to say? I’ll give you an interview right here,” he said, standing in for Wood. “I’m sick! I hit a bomb!”

He wasn’t the only one happy to see Wood do something worth celebrating: When Wood got back to the dugout after rounding the bases, his teammates gave him a pounding.

“That was big for Brandon,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I think it definitely relaxed him. It’s a positive first step.”

One that’s been a long time in coming. Wood started Friday hitless in September, mired in a three-for-43 slump and without an extra-base hit in nearly three months — none of which Wood confessed to knowing.

“I haven’t been counting any numbers this year,” he said.

That hasn’t stopped him from working hard, though. Over the last six weeks hitting coach Mickey Hatcher has tried to rebuild Wood’s swing — but with little success until Friday.

“Seeing some progress, some positives, will definitely give me something to work on,” Wood said.

The leadoff homer, which was measured at 427 feet, knocked the Rays out of first place in the American League East, but it came too late to help Angels starter Dan Haren. The hard-luck right-hander celebrated his 30th birthday by scattering three hits and matching a season-high with 10 strikeouts in seven innings, but he left without a win for the eighth time in 11 starts with the Angels.

“The wins haven’t been easy to come by this year, that’s for sure,” said Haren, who has struck out more than 200 batters for the third time in as many seasons. “I’m still proud of the innings [pitched] and the strikeouts. They’re obviously nice personal accomplishments.

“[But] those things are just more of a testament to just taking the ball every fifth day and battling nagging things all year.”

Now, Scioscia said, he wants to see Wood battle through what remains of his disappointing season, hoping he’ll emerge stronger from the struggles.

“We need him to just use this experience to become a better ballplayer,” he said. “And if he can do that, it’s going to be worth all the trials and tribulations this year.

“If he can’t take the experience and make it better, then that’s something that’s tough to take.”

First win

The victory Friday went to right-hander Michael Kohn, who pitched a scoreless eighth despite giving up a hit and three walks. The win was the first in 19 big-league appearances for the rookie from South Carolina, who had 10 family members in Florida to see him pitch.

Injury update

Shortstop Erick Aybar and reliever Scot Shields both underwent MRI exams Friday — Aybar because of a strain in his left leg and Shields with soreness in his right elbow.

Aybar was a late scratch from Thursday’s series finale in Cleveland — although he was almost used as a pinch-hitter when the game went into extra innings. Shields hasn’t pitched since walking two batters in a third of an inning 11 days ago.

“They’re being evaluated by the doctor and we’ll see what direction he’s going to go,” Scioscia said.

kevin.baxter@latimes.com