Offense looking to regain pre-break momentum

ANAHEIM -- The Angels rode a hot offense to five straight wins entering the All-Star break.

But since returning from the break, the Angels' firepower has disappeared. Through the first seven games of the second half, the Angels have hit .225 while scoring just 3.1 runs per game. With runners in scoring position, they are hitting .200, including an 0-for-12 performance Wednesday night.

The drought on offense has cost the Angels, whose streak of seven straight games decided by two runs or fewer is the franchise's longest since 2008. The Angels entered Friday 3-4 since the break, and their series loss to Baltimore was the first home series loss since early May, a string of 10 straight series.

"When you're swinging the bat well, you can absorb some of the shortcomings, just like when you're pitching well, you can absorb some of the shortcomings on the offensive end," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We haven't, through this week after the break, attacked the ball like we can in the batter's box, but I don't think it's anything that we need to reinvent the wheel with these guys."

Despite the recent dry spell, the Angels ranked among the top three American League clubs in runs (second, 500), total bases (third, 1,489), on-base percentage (tied-second, .331), slugging percentage (third, .420) and extra-base hits (third, 318).

"These guys are good, and you're going to have some stages where you're not swinging the bat to your capabilities," Scioscia said. "I think these seven games, that's obviously the situation, but these guys will break out of it."