Scioscia shakes it up

Righthander Kelvim Escobar was called upon to help the Angels rebound after losing Wednesday's Game 1. (BILL GREENE/GLOBE STAFF)

Trying to punch up his batting order, Angels manager Mike Scioscia last night went with switch-hitting Kendry Morales as his designated hitter, leaving Chone Figgins and Maicer Izturis to reprise their American League Division Series Game 1 assignments in center field (after starting in right in the opener) and at third base, respectively.

The moves had the desired effect of producing more hits (seven), but it did little to change the net outcome for the Angels, who suffered a 6-3 loss to the Red Sox before a Fenway Park crowd of 37,706.

Vladimir Guerrero, the All-Star outfielder who had been nursing tendinitis in his right triceps and was the Game 1 DH, started in right field for the first time since Sept. 4. But Guerrero, who was hit by a pitch by Manny Delcarmen in the seventh inning, was pulled in the eighth because of a contusion in his left shoulder.

His absence was felt in the ninth when his spot in the order came up against Jonathan Papelbon.

"We think he's going to be OK right now," Scioscia said. "But he's a little sore and he'll need treatment [last night and today]. If Vlad can go, he'll go. But it got to the point where he couldn't lift his arm and it got very stiff. But it seems like, hopefully, it'll be loose enough like he can play."

Scioscia's decision to stay with Izturis at third and go with Figgins in center meant rookie Reggie Willits started on the bench. Willits entered in the eighth to run for Juan Rivera and remained as the Angels' center fielder, with Figgins moving to right.

"[Izturis] brings a good defensive presence that we need," Scioscia said. "And he's been one of our top clutch hitters. So we definitely want to keep him in the lineup, and hopefully, he'll contribute."

Izturis had such an opportunity in his first at-bat when he stepped in against Daisuke Matsuzaka with two out and Orlando Cabrera and Garret Anderson on the corners. However, the Angels' third baseman wound up looking at a wicked breaking ball for a called third strike.

With two out, one aboard, and the game tied, 3-3, in the seventh, Izturis came up to bat against Sox reliever Hideki Okajima. Izturis, however, went down swinging, stranding Guerrero.

Scioscia contemplated moving Figgins to third, which would have meant using Izturis at DH.

"Yes, we did have that option to move Figgie to third base and keep Reggie Willits in the lineup," Scioscia said. "But I think that Izzy's been not only a terrific defensive presence for us, he's been solid in the middle of our lineup."

Figgins went 1 for 5 with a run-scoring double and run scored in the leadoff spot, and Izturis was 1 for 5 batting in the five hole and had two of the team's five stolen bases, which tied the Division Series record established by Cleveland Oct. 4, 1996. Morales was 1 for 4 and scored a run.

Anderson looks better

Anderson remained in the cleanup spot despite conjunctivitis in his right eye. Asked about Anderson's eye, Scioscia reported, "Well, it looks puffier and puffier, but his vision's getting better and better. He had an exam today; his vision's fine. He's very comfortable [with] his vision and where he is." Anderson, evidently, had no trouble seeing the ball in his first two trips to the plate, which resulted in single in the first and a Texas Leaguer to right in the third that he stretched into a double. In the ninth, he worked a two-out walk out of Papelbon . . . The Angels have now lost eight consecutive postseason games to the Red Sox dating to the 1986 AL Championship Series. "I couldn't tell you why we haven't gotten it done here," said Francisco Rodriguez, who gave up the winning homer to Manny Ramírez in the ninth.

Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com.