Angel Stadium turf could need another three weeks to settle

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Barney Lopas, the head groundskeeper at Angel Stadium, said the new turf installed after the recent U2 concerts probably won’t be fully settled and in premium condition until the Texas Rangers visit Anaheim for a series July 19-21.

That means that after Wednesday’s game against Washington, the Angels will still have 10 more home games before the All-Star break to play on a field that is not up to its usual ‘pristine’ standards, the word Manager Mike Scioscia used to describe his home field.

Lopas acknowledged Wednesday that the infield ‘was pretty quick,’ and that a seam may have contributed to a bad hop in right field. But he would not go so far as to say the field contributed to the seven errors the Angels and Nationals combined for in Tuesday night’s game, an 11-5 Angels win.

‘The ones in the infield, I didn’t see anything crazy,’ Lopas said. ‘It is quick because it’s new. The grass hasn’t grown, and it’s not as thick as it normally is.’

The particles that can be seen coming out of the grass in the infield and outfield is from the layer of sand that is used to level the playing surface. Lopas will have a week from July 11 to July 18, during the All-Star break and an Angels series in Oakland, to work extensively on the field.

‘The field isn’t used to what we’re seeing,’ Scioscia said. ‘There are more seams. The skin is fine. Some sod needs to come together in the infield, but it shouldn’t take long.’

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-- Mike DiGiovanna