Angels’ Vernon Wells redeems himself with late homer against Dodgers

For an inning Sunday, it seemed as if Angels right fielder Vernon Wells had cost his team the game. Then, it seemed as if Wells had delivered a dramatic victory.

Wells struck out three times in the Angels’ 3-2 loss and dropped a deep fly ball hit by Tony Gwynn Jr. in the seventh inning, leading to the Dodgers’ only run against Angels starter Jered Weaver.

“I think the big thing is making that play,” Wells said. “If I make that play, then things might be different. I expect myself to make those plays. It’s unfortunate because Weaver was throwing a great game, and those are the type of plays that need to be made, especially in close games like that.”

But Wells quickly erased those memories in the ninth inning when he sent a home run off Clayton Kershaw into the Dodgers’ bullpen, giving the Angels a 2-1 lead.

“I figured once I got to the full count, he’s going back to the pitch he punched me out on three times before,” Wells said. “That was the only [slider] he pretty much left up in any of the at-bats, so I just tried to put a good swing on it.”

Since a monthlong stay on the disabled list ended June 9, Wells has not lacked good swings. Those good swings just haven’t met the ball very often. In 17 games since his return from a right groin strain, Wells has 15 hits, compared with 12 strikeouts.

“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: Struggling makes you stronger,” he said Saturday after the Angels’ 6-1 win over the Dodgers. “It teaches you a lot and for me to go through it early, it was good for me. Luckily guys around me were playing well when I was struggling, so now it’s my job to help out a little more moving forward.”

This weekend Wells started helping out, tallying four hits and driving in four runs.

“The last 10 days or so, he’s been looking good,” Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. “Even though he struck out today, he came through in the end. I think that guy has been swinging the bat well.”

Indeed, over the last 10 days, Wells has hit .265 with seven runs batted in. On the season though, his numbers still show signs of trouble at the plate, as 45 strikeouts have led to a .205 average.

“It’s a matter of doing a lot of things, just trying to be better in all phases,” Wells said. “Home runs are great, but I’m going to start throwing some other hits in there for sure.”

Until that time comes, he said, his struggles will be on his mind.

“There’s just a lot of thoughts that go through my head that keep you up at night,” he said.

As for the missed catch in right field, Wells acknowledged that his mistake contributed to his big swing two innings later.

“Anytime you get a situation like that when you want to help out your starting pitcher, there’s an urgency to make up for it a bit,” he said.

Now the Angels urgently need Wells to bring that mind-set with him every time he steps into the batter’s box.

douglas.farmer@latimes.com

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