Angels Unable to Cash In : Baseball: They lose streak of errorless games in the ninth, and miss chance to gain ground as Rangers win in 13 innings, 7-4.

The Angels were playing Saturday night’s game against the Texas Rangers with a chance to tie the major league record for consecutive errorless games, and--more important to them--a chance to move within one game of the Minnesota Twins, who lead the American League West.

The Angels lost their shot at the record on right fielder Dave Winfield’s error in the ninth, and then played four more innings before losing the game as well, 7-4, on Rafael Palmeiro’s three-run homer in front of 41,708 at Anaheim Stadium. The 13 innings marked the most innings the Angels have played this season.

The Angels remain two games behind the Twins, who also lost Saturday.

Palmeiro’s homer, off Scott Bailes, was his ninth of the season and second of the game. His first, with no one on in the third, came against Chuck Finley, making him only the fourth left-hander to homer off Finley in Finley’s career.

The Rangers set the stage for Palmeiro on Ivan Rodriguez’s single, a sacrifice, and an intentional walk to Brian Downing.

The Angels ended the game when Donnie Hill’s grounder to first stranded Max Venable, who has singled after Gary Gaetti and Lance Parrish struck out.

Texas reliever Jeff Russell (2-1) earned the victory. Bailes (1-2) was the loser.

The Angels fell short of tying the major league record of 15 consecutive errorless games on Winfield’s error, which very nearly cost them the game as well.

With two out and the score tied, 4-4, reliever Jeff Robinson gave up a single to Ruben Sierra. But Winfield--who had not committed an error this season--allowed the ball to roll under his glove and Sierra took second on the play.

Sierra took third on Robinson’s wild pitch, and after Robinson walked Julio Franco intentionally, watched Robinson throw a second wild pitch. Catcher Lance Parrish scrambled to retrieve it, throwing the ball back to Robinson at the plate in time to prevent Sierra from scoring. Franco took second on the play.

Robinson then went to a full count on Juan Gonzalez, the next batter, who flied to left.

The Angels went down in order for the first time in the ninth, with Winfield striking out swinging.

Texas put runners on first and second before Downing grounded out to end the 10th. The Angels got a runner as far as second in the 11th before Dick Schofield grounded to short.

In the 12th, Gonzalez got on base with a leadoff walk, but it went for naught when Gary Pettis was called out bunting foul on a third strike, and the Angels pulled off a double play, striking out Steve Buechele and catching Gonzalez attempting to steal.

The Angels, who had trailed from the outset, tied the score, 4-4, in the seventh when Gaetti drove in Wally Joyner from third with a two-out single. Joyner had doubled to lead off the inning, and moved to third on Winfield’s groundout. He got back to the bag safely when Dave Parker grounded to third, leaving it up to Gaetti, who had struck out with the bases loaded in the third.

This time, Gaetti delivered.

Before Saturday’s game, the Angels had not committed an error in 141 innings since June 12, when Joyner was charged with a fielding error on a pickoff play. With 14 consecutive errorless games, they had set an American League record.

Winfield’s error was his first since last Aug. 8, 105 games.

The major league record is held by the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals, who tied the mark this season.

Finley, who gave up a career-high 11 hits, entered the game with an 11-3 record, and was seeking to tie the AL lead of 12 victories held by Minnesota’s Scott Erickson, whose loss Saturday gave the Angels an opportunity to close the Twins’ lead to one game.

Finley went eight innings, needing 141 pitches, and did not once retire the side in order. He gave up four runs, walked three and struck out eight.

“(Finley) struggled, but he kept us in position to win a ballgame. That’s all you can ask of a guy,” Manager Doug Rader said.

Finley: “The loss is frustrating. I’ll overcome everything else,” Finley said.