Angels Keep Rolling Over - M’S California Has Largest Division Lead In Club History After 5-4 Victory

Rookie Garret Anderson homered, doubled and scored twice Wednesday night as the California Angels won their eighth straight game, 5-4 over the Seattle Mariners.

The Angels surpassed their longest winning streak of the season and maintained their 11-game lead over Texas in the American League West, the largest margin in club history and one game better than their previous best in September 1986 - their last division championship season.

Mike Harkey (6-6) improved his record with the Angels to 2-0 in three starts since he was claimed on waivers from Oakland on July 19. The right-hander was charged with three runs on seven hits over six-plus innings, including a solo homer and RBI single by Alex Rodriguez. Harkey struck out four and walked one.

Pinch-hitter Luis Sojo singled in a run in the seventh off Bob Patterson and Troy Percival surrendered his first run in 14 outings on an eighth-inning solo homer to Jay Buhner, who has hit all 18 homers this season off right-handers.

The homer narrowed the gap to 5-4. But Lee Smith got the final three outs for his 25th save, the 13th consecutive year that baseball’s all-time save leader has reached that figure.

The Angels took a 2-1 lead in the third against Tim Belcher (7-6) on a leadoff walk to Jim Edmonds, a single by Tim Salmon and a run-scoring groundout by J.T. Snow. They added two more in the fourth on RBI singles by Tony Phillips and Salmon.

Rodriguez’ fourth homer narrowed the gap to 4-2 before Anderson, the A.L. player of the month for July, restored the Angels’ three-run margin in the bottom of the fifth with his 10th homer and eighth in 25 games. It is the first time the rookie has reached double figures in home runs at any level since starting his pro career in 1990 out of high school.

Mariner notes

Rodriguez returned to the lineup after a couple days off to rest an ailing muscle in his rib cage… . Ken Griffey Jr. had his left wrist re-examined in Seattle again as doctors slowly increase the work he’s allowed to do before returning to the lineup… . With an innings-consuming pitcher like Andy Benes in the rotation, the Mariners are contemplating going back to a 10-man staff. The most likely scenario would be sending out Bill Krueger and calling up switch-hitting outfielder Kevin Roberson from Tacoma… . Rich Amaral’s 12-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-3 game.