Angels' Trumbo remains in slump

For most of the season's first four months, outfielder Mark Trumbo was the Angels' most consistent

offensive producer. But the young slugger has slipped into a deep slump recently.

With an 0-for-4 in Friday's 6-5 win over the Mariners, Trumbo has just six hits in his past 43 at-bats

and is batting .200 (16-for-80) over 21 games since July 18.

The slump has dragged Trumbo's batting average for the season from .311 down to .288. But Trumbo says he

considers batting average of only secondary importance. His job is to drive the ball and drive in runs --

he has done neither of those as well recently. He has just three extra-base hits (all home runs) and eight

RBI in his past 21 games. His slugging percentage has gone from .634 and first in the American League on

July 17 down to .568 (fifth).

"I normally go through these stretches where I just lose the feel for the barrel for a time," Trumbo

said. "There hasn't been a season where I haven't experienced a 1-for-20 (slump) or whatever it is now."

Trumbo has had just one day off since May 10 and that was midway through this slump when upper back spasms

sent him to the bench for a day. Trumbo said there is no physical issue leading to his slump and Angels

manager Mike Scioscia attributed it mainly to "the ebb and flow of the season."

"I think he's just missed some pitches that he was hitting earlier. He's fouled them back or he's rolled

over them," Scioscia said. "That's normal. You're not going to see a guy on every pitch. In talking to Eppy

(hitting coach Jim Eppard) and the guys working with him every day, his mind is right. He feels good

physically. He just needs to start squaring some balls up and he'll be back on the right track."