"We have to weigh the importance of taking him out of our bullpen for the three days leading up to a start and then three days on the backside," Scioscia said. "That's a big hole to fill."

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com

The pain, the heartache and the intensity have been agonizingly human around Angel Stadium for the past few days.

Saturday, for the Angels , the emotions were about Baseball, too - a dramatic, tension-filled, 5-4 loss to Boston that moved the team one more day past the tragic loss of teammate Nick Adenhart and one more step back into a season that won't wait.

"Today was a lot better for us," outfielder Torii Hunter said. "You know, we had the ceremony yesterday, and everything, and it was rough. Today we played Baseball."

Not badly, either.

It ended with the bases loaded, the Angels down a run, and Howie Kendrick facing one of the most dominating closers, Jonathan Papelbon. Kendrick fouled off seven consecutive 0-2 pitches - the fans on their feet and gasping, laughing and clutching their chests with each - before he smoked a line drive into right-center that Rocco Baldelli tracked down for the final out.

"I kept just missing," Kendrick said of his 10-pitch nail-biter. "I felt good about the last at-bat, even though they beat us."

Hunter said the Angels "were jumping every time Howie got a good swing. It was fun. Man, that was a Baseball game. Tense to the finish."

Same for the other side.