Cabrera Advises Patience at Plate

BALTIMORE — The Angels were near the bottom of the American League rankings for runs in the first half of the season; they now rank fifth. They ranked last in walks for several months; they now rank eighth.

They led the major leagues with a .301 average with runners in scoring position before Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Orioles, and what they lack in slugging percentage -- they rank 11th -- they seem to make up for with aggressive baserunning and clutch hitting.

But even though the Angel offense has been on an upswing -- at least, it was until Thursday night -- averaging 5.5 runs in the last 25 games, Orlando Cabrera sees one area in which it can improve: patience, especially with runners on base.

“It seems like when we get people on base, we want to swing right away,” Cabrera said. “I do it too. I’ll swing at the first pitch. This has never been a patient team, and it killed them in the playoffs last year.”

Just as important, Cabrera said, is the need to identify when opponents are pitching around you and to take walks in those at-bats, something that could benefit slugger Vladimir Guerrero.

“If they don’t pitch to you, you need to walk, but we don’t do that here,” said Cabrera, the shortstop on Boston’s World Series champions in 2004. “Here, you swing because you want the run batted in.

“It seems like we don’t trust the guy behind us to do the job. You can’t do that in the playoffs.... They’ll see what your weaknesses are, and if you chase pitches out of the zone, you’re going to be out.”

One Angel who never worries about being pitched around is Darin Erstad, who hits ahead of Guerrero. “I have the easiest spot in the history of baseball to hit in,” Erstad said.

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Major League Baseball denied the Red Sox request to alter their schedule so they could play a split doubleheader against the Angels in Fenway Park on Sept. 7. The Angel-Red Sox series will proceed as scheduled, with three games Sept. 6-8.

The Red Sox, who will make up a rained-out game against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 5, made the request hoping to avoid a stretch of 30 games in 30 days. But the Angels had no interest in accommodating the request. “You only play 18 innings in one day if you have to,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “To throw a doubleheader into the schedule would be very tough.”

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Garret Anderson’s left knee and lower back felt good enough for him to start in left field, the first time he has played the outfield since Aug. 9.... Kendry Morales had five hits and six runs batted in to improve his average to .277, and Jered Weaver threw six shutout innings for double-A Arkansas Wednesday night, but it seems doubtful the Angels will call up either when rosters expand Sept. 1.