ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ANDERSON BAFFLED BY HIS SLUMP.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

OAKLAND - Garret Anderson was the designated hitter again Tuesday, unable to play the outfield because of a sore back. The back isn't the reason the usually productive outfielder is struggling, Anderson and manager Mike Scioscia said.

Anderson began the night Tuesday with one hit in his previous 18 at-bats.

``I guess it feels the way it looks,'' Anderson said when asked how he's feeling at the plate. ``It equates to getting hits, and I'm not getting hits. I'm not doing the job, that's what it boils down to. I don't know, I really don't know what it is. It doesn't matter what I say, it sounds like an excuse.''

Scioscia said he can't quite put a finger on the root of Anderson's problems, but he doesn't believe it's the back.

``In batting practice, he looks great,'' Scioscia said. ``When a guy is injured, you see it affect him in batting practice, in pregame, in the outfield. He's swinging the bat well in batting practice. It's tough to say (what Anderson's problem is). Maybe he's expanding the zone more than usual.''

--Not the same: Tim Salmon is with the team the rest of the way, but however deep into the playoffs the Angels go, he said it'll be tough to match the feeling he had when the team won the World Series in 2002.

``What we did in '02 might have had more emotion in it, because we came so close in '95 and '97, and we finally got over the hump,'' Salmon said. ``It's like the Red Sox. If they win, it'll be great for them, but it won't be the same as last year. Still, having said that, the playoffs are the playoffs, and it's always exciting.''