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07-30-2002, 11:57 AM
Darin Erstad hit a tying homer in the eighth inning, and Garret Anderson drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly as the Angels rallied past the Boston Red Sox 5-4 Monday night.
It was Anaheim's 31st come-from-behind win in 63 games.
"When you're a team that's always in those one-run games and you're always having to come back to win, it says a lot more about your character," said Tim Salmon, who tripled for the first time this season in the eighth.
"We'd love to have easy wins all year long, but I don't think that says much down the road because the further you get, the tighter the games are going to get."
Anaheim maintained its lead in the AL West by percentage points over Seattle. Boston fell five games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.
"They're no slouches by any means," Boston reliever Alan Embree said of the Angels. "It's going to be a tough race for the wild card and a tough race in our division."
Erstad hit his seventh home run leading off the eighth against Embree, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game.
"I just made one bad pitch," Embree said. "I was disgusted with it."
Salmon followed with a triple off the right-field wall that bounced away from Trot Nixon as he leaped for it. Johnny Damon made a diving catch of Anderson's fly to center, but Salmon scored for a 5-4 lead.
"I was thinking three the whole way because I know what can happen over there, in that corner it can bounce off," Salmon said. "As soon as I hit it, I said, 'If he doesn't catch it, I've got to be on third base."'
Embree (0-1) gave up two runs on two hits in one inning.
"He threw the ball well, but he hung a breaking pitch to Erstad and it ended up in the seats," Boston manager Grady Little said. "But we're surely glad to have this kid back in the bullpen. He's got a good arm and he's going to mean a lot to us."
Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 26 opportunities, retiring Damon on a comebacker with runners at first and second for the final out.
Scott Schoeneweis (8-7) retired Jason Varitek on a double-play grounder to end the eighth.
The Angels had little support among the mostly pro-Boston crowd of 27,929 until their eighth-inning comeback. The fans stayed on their feet in the ninth.
Anaheim has won nine of its last 10 games at Edison Field and are second in the AL with 34 home wins.
"When the Red Sox and the Yankees come to town there's always a big following. They tend to make a lot of noise," Salmon said, "but it was nice to see our fans get up and get excited."
Boston took its first lead of the game, 4-3, in the sixth on Shea Hillenbrand's two-out solo homer.
Brian Daubach's two-run homer in the fourth tied it at 3. The Red Sox have 20 homers in their last nine games.
Anaheim led 1-0 on Anderson's two-out RBI single in the first. Daubach's RBI single tied it in the second, but the Angels regained the lead in the bottom half on Scott Spiezio's solo homer on an 0-2 pitch -- his sixth of the season.
Anaheim took a 3-1 lead in the third on Salmon's RBI groundout that scored David Eckstein, who led off with a single and stole second.
It was Anaheim's 31st come-from-behind win in 63 games.
"When you're a team that's always in those one-run games and you're always having to come back to win, it says a lot more about your character," said Tim Salmon, who tripled for the first time this season in the eighth.
"We'd love to have easy wins all year long, but I don't think that says much down the road because the further you get, the tighter the games are going to get."
Anaheim maintained its lead in the AL West by percentage points over Seattle. Boston fell five games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.
"They're no slouches by any means," Boston reliever Alan Embree said of the Angels. "It's going to be a tough race for the wild card and a tough race in our division."
Erstad hit his seventh home run leading off the eighth against Embree, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game.
"I just made one bad pitch," Embree said. "I was disgusted with it."
Salmon followed with a triple off the right-field wall that bounced away from Trot Nixon as he leaped for it. Johnny Damon made a diving catch of Anderson's fly to center, but Salmon scored for a 5-4 lead.
"I was thinking three the whole way because I know what can happen over there, in that corner it can bounce off," Salmon said. "As soon as I hit it, I said, 'If he doesn't catch it, I've got to be on third base."'
Embree (0-1) gave up two runs on two hits in one inning.
"He threw the ball well, but he hung a breaking pitch to Erstad and it ended up in the seats," Boston manager Grady Little said. "But we're surely glad to have this kid back in the bullpen. He's got a good arm and he's going to mean a lot to us."
Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 26 opportunities, retiring Damon on a comebacker with runners at first and second for the final out.
Scott Schoeneweis (8-7) retired Jason Varitek on a double-play grounder to end the eighth.
The Angels had little support among the mostly pro-Boston crowd of 27,929 until their eighth-inning comeback. The fans stayed on their feet in the ninth.
Anaheim has won nine of its last 10 games at Edison Field and are second in the AL with 34 home wins.
"When the Red Sox and the Yankees come to town there's always a big following. They tend to make a lot of noise," Salmon said, "but it was nice to see our fans get up and get excited."
Boston took its first lead of the game, 4-3, in the sixth on Shea Hillenbrand's two-out solo homer.
Brian Daubach's two-run homer in the fourth tied it at 3. The Red Sox have 20 homers in their last nine games.
Anaheim led 1-0 on Anderson's two-out RBI single in the first. Daubach's RBI single tied it in the second, but the Angels regained the lead in the bottom half on Scott Spiezio's solo homer on an 0-2 pitch -- his sixth of the season.
Anaheim took a 3-1 lead in the third on Salmon's RBI groundout that scored David Eckstein, who led off with a single and stole second.