Angels Change Their Luck by Passing Around the Bat

The Angels turned to a fresh face and a new shtick, or rather stick, Wednesday.

Desperate to change their luck--which took another turn south when first baseman Mo Vaughn was unavailable because of a staph infection--they decided to all use the same bat the first time through the order.

Whether that sparked the offense, or whether rookie catcher Ben Molina did, can be debated. But the Angels certainly had a different look about them in a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Molina, who was called up Tuesday, had three hits in his first three at-bats and drove in two runs. If he didn’t have an effect on the Angels--who seemed to go painfully through the motions Tuesday--he did on the 18,216 at Edison Field, who gave Molina a louder reception each time he came up.

“We haven’t had a lot to clap about lately,” Manager Terry Collins said. “We needed something to break the tension.”

The Angels have been in a funk, losing 16 of 20 games since the All-Star break. That’s where the bat came in.

“I’m sitting in the dugout before the game and I hear one of the guys saying, ‘Make it one with some tape so I can get a grip.’ ” Collins said. “I don’t know what they are talking about.”

So whose bat did they pick? Jim Edmonds’. Not a bad choice, considering it was in near-mint condition. Edmonds had been on the disabled list until Monday.

Four of the Angels’ first nine batters got hits--although Edmonds wasn’t one of them. That qualified as an offensive burst. They had only five hits in an 8-0 shutout Tuesday.

“It was something the hitters talked about last night,” hitting coach Rod Carew said. “You got to try to change something.”

The one-team, one-bat policy did cause some confusion. Outfielder Orlando Palmeiro was called out on strikes to start the first. He dropped the bat at the plate and umpire Tim Tschida, assuming a slight, tossed him.

DiSarcina, the next batter, explained the situation and Palmeiro was allowed to remain.

“I’ve never seen a team use one bat before,” Collins said. “But, then, I’ve never seen anyone get thrown out, then get to go back in either.”

Good things soon started happening.

Kansas City catcher Chad Kreuter dropped Darin Erstad’s foul popup to start the second. Erstad then singled and, one out later, Jeff Huson singled.

That brought up Molina, who lined a 2-1 pitch over Jermaine Dye’s head in right field, scoring Erstad. It was Molina’s first major league hit and RBI.

Palmeiro followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. The Angels had scored only seven runs in the previous five games on their current homestand.

Molina struck again in the fourth. He lined a single to left, scoring Troy Glaus for a 3-1 lead. Molina later scored on Garret Anderson’s two-out single.

Molina also had an infield hit in the fifth. He got all three with Edmonds’ bat, which he got to keep.

“I just go up their thinking about moving guys over, things like that,” Molina said. “That is what will keep me here.”

Still, it was the first time since July 27 that an Angel has had three hits in a game.

“Let’s not put Ben in the Hall of Fame just yet,” Collins said. “Let him play a few more games for us first.”

Ken Hill and the bullpen made it stand up. Hill (4-10) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) for his first victory since June 6.

It lessened the blow of losing Vaughn, whose average has slipped to a season-low .272.

He was taken to the hospital after Tuesday’s game with an infection in his right shin. He was given antibiotics and sent home. Collins said Vaughn will probably miss a couple games.