Persistent Angels Still Not at a Loss

With second place staring at them from the scoreboard and Pedro Martinez staring at them from the visiting dugout, the Angels blitzed their way to 5-4 victory Monday, holding on to first place in the American League West with a lightning rally in the eighth inning.

The Seattle Mariners had won. The Boston Red Sox were six outs away from beating the Angels, with Martinez scheduled to pitch tonight. The Angels could have lost their lead in the West Monday and lost their lead in the wild-card race tonight.

Not this time, not this team. In a matter of minutes--a home run by Darin Erstad, a triple by Tim Salmon, a sacrifice fly by Garret Anderson--the Angels turned what would have been a painful one-run defeat into a victory before a spirited crowd of 27,929 at Edison Field.

Scott Spiezio had three hits, including a home run, and the unsung bullpen combined for three scoreless innings, as the Angels retained the AL West lead by percentage points over the Mariners and increased their wild-card lead to two games over Boston.

The Angels’ chances appeared slim and grim in the eighth inning, with the Red Sox leading, 4-3, and Erstad leading off. Erstad, in a horrific slump, had not hit a home run at Edison Field in one year and three days.

But he did just that, off Boston reliever Alan Embree, after making outs in 32 of his previous 35 at-bats. Salmon followed with a drive that crashed high off the right-field wall and rolled away from right fielder Trot Nixon. By the time Nixon recovered and returned the ball to the infield, Salmon had hustled all the way to third base.

Anderson then reached out and poked a two-strike pitch into right-center field--not very pretty, and not very deep, but plenty effective. Center fielder Johnny Damon had to run a long way to get to the ball, then dive to catch it, so Salmon tagged and scored the winning run without a slide.

Scott Schoeneweis, who pitched to one batter and got a double play in the top of the eighth inning, earned the victory. Troy Percival worked the ninth for his second save in two days and 24th of the season.

The Angels enjoyed something of a home-field advantage, rare when the Red Sox and their legion of followers visit usually placid Edison Field. The home fans actually sounded as if they took offense to those among them rooting on the Red Sox.

The Angel fans booed Boston superstar Nomar Garciaparra, just because he was the Boston superstar. As soon as Boston fans offered a round of applause after home runs by Brian Daubach and Shea Hillenbrand, the Angel fans responded with a round of boos.

The Angel rally saved starter Aaron Sele from taking the defeat. Sele did what he says he always tries to do, pitch well enough to keep his team in the game. He gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings, including Daubach’s two-run homer in the fourth inning and Hillenbrand’s solo shot in the sixth.

The Angels scored single runs in each of the first three innings against Boston’s Casey Fossum, making his first start of the season.

In the first inning, Anderson doubled, extending his hitting streak to 15 games and driving home Salmon.

In the second, Speizio homered.

In the third, David Eckstein singled, stole second base, took third on a ground out by Erstad and scored on a ground ball by Salmon.

Fossum pitched six innings, giving up three runs and five hits.

Erstad and Troy Glaus each reported for early batting practice, but the work did not resolve the slump of Glaus. He went hitless in four at-bats; he is in a five-for-37 (.135) skid and is batting .191 over the past two months.

Glaus, who has one home run this month, visibly expressed his frustration in the first inning. With Anderson on second base and two out, Glaus flied out, then slammed his bat to the ground before running the ball out.