O.C. Register, Bill Plunket:

Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera has studied video and come to one conclusion about his slump this month.

“I (stink). That’s the only way to say it,” said Cabrera who broke an 0-for-17 stretch with a single Friday.

That was the deepest part of a month-long struggle. Cabrera went 4 for 14 in the series against the Twins but is still batting only .161 (10 for 62) in July, a decline made more startling by the fact that it followed the best two-month stretch of Cabrera’s career. Through May and June, Cabrera hit .378 with 84 hits, 38 RBIs and 35 runs scored in 53 games.

It’s a reversal of fortune that was actually forecast by a statistic popular among baseball’s numbers-focused analysts – batting average on balls put in play (BABIP). BABIP discounts walks and strikeouts (neither of which Cabrera does often) and calculates the frequency at which balls put in play find holes.

Through June, Cabrera’s BABIP was far above his career average (and still is at .333 going into Sunday’s game).

But the Angels shortstop said he didn’t need any complicated formula to realize he was due for a rough stretch at some point.

“What? Did you think I was going to hit .340? Not going to happen,” said Cabrera, a .269 career hitter coming into 2007. “You go through ups and downs during a season.”

Cabrera said he has watched video “a lot lately” in search of a clue that will help him turn things around again. He hasn’t found any glaring swing changes that need to be made, just some general rules that he has been violating.

”I think I’m not swinging through the way I’m supposed to,” he said. “I’m pulling off the ball. I’m getting too anxious with my swing.

“I’m forcing things. I’m not letting my ability take care of it.”

The solution, Cabrera said, is to get back to basics. He showed signs of emerging from the slump Sunday with two hits (his first multi-hit game since July 6) – both through the middle of the infield.

“I’m just trying to stay through the ball, hit the ball up the middle,” he said. “When you struggle, you try to pull everything. You’re going to miss a lot of pitches that way. Even though, I’m getting pitches I can hit I’ve got to get it in my head to stay up the middle. Then the hits will start coming again.”

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The minor-league pitcher obtained from the New York Yankees in Saturday’s trade for veteran catcher Jose Molina was suspended for violating the minor-league steroid policy in 2005. Jeff Kennard (who will turn 26 next week) served a 15-game suspension (the penalty for a first-time offense) in June and July 2005. He was pitching in the Class-A Florida State League at the time.
Angels GM Bill Stoneman said the team was “aware” of Kennard’s history.

“But that’s ‘05. Nothing’s happened since that time,” Stoneman said. “Hopefully, he’s learned his lesson.”

Kennard (a native of Centerville, Ohio) told the Dayton Daily News at the time of the suspension that his positive test result was caused by an over-the-counter product, glutomine, which he purchased at GNC. He said he was unaware that glutomine contained a derivative of androstenedione which is on baseball’s list of banned substances.

Stoneman also said there has been no dropoff in Kennard’s velocity or performance that would indicate he had been relying on performance-enhancing substances.

“He’s still throwing the ball very well,” Stoneman said. “That thing was two years ago. It happened. It’s over. He’s moved forward from it. We should too.

“You can’t get answers to all the questions you might have (before acquiring a player). What you rely on is that he’s a guy who has been tested since ‘05 and nothing has come up positive since ‘05.”

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Gary Matthews Jr. and Reggie Willits were not in the starting lineup Saturday. Both have been slumping recently. Matthews was 4 for 19 on the road trip. Willits was 3 for 18 on the trip and is batting .157 (8 for 51) this month.

“We want to give Reggie every opportunity to get back on track,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s been a big part of our push in the first half and we need what he can bring in the final third of the season.

“Right now, he’s not on track and maybe a day off will get him back on track. It’s not that we’re giving up on him (as an every-day player). We’ve seen what his piece to the puzzle means to us.”

Matthews was also feeling sore from his collision with the outfield wall Saturday night. Matthews ran into the wall while trying to run down Joe Mauer’s game-winning, three-run, inside-the-park home run.

“It’s like the morning after a car accident, like you just got rear-ended,” Matthews said. “The coconut’s okay. If the coconut’s okay, I’m good.”