Angel Win Adds to Success on the Road

MINNEAPOLIS â€”  Cleanup batter Garret Anderson missed the entire nine-game trip, shortstop David Eckstein sat out five games and was pulled in the first inning of another, and designated hitter Tim Salmon was sidelined for four games. And still, the Angels winged back to Anaheim on Sunday night with seven wins on the trip.

Their 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins before 20,744 in the Metrodome on Sunday capped their best nine-game road swing in 17 years.

Jose Guillen broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning, John Lackey’s resurgence continued with a superb seven-inning, one-run stint and closer Troy Percival survived a shaky ninth for his seventh save. The Angels went 7-2 in Oakland, Detroit and Minnesota, their best nine-game trip since going 8-1 at Texas, Chicago and Cleveland from June 22 to July 1, 1987.

Shortstop Chone Figgins, who has started 10 consecutive games in place of injured Anderson in center field or Eckstein at short, tripled and scored in the first inning, singled in the third and sparked the winning rally with a single in the eighth.

Figgins, a speedy utility player, hit .357 in the 10 games with four triples, a double, six stolen bases and 10 runs, easing the loss of Anderson and Eckstein.

“Figgy has been stepping up,� Guillen said. “He’s been stealing bases, playing center field better than anyone on the team, putting the ball in play, hitting doubles and triples, bunting ... he’s doing everything.�

Figgins led off the eighth Sunday with a single to left off hard-throwing reliever J.C. Romero and stole second as Darin Erstad struck out. Vladimir Guerrero was walked intentionally, and Twin third baseman Corey Koskie robbed Troy Glaus of a double with a backhand, diving stop of Glaus’ grounder down the line.

Koskie threw Glaus out at first, the runners advancing on the play, and Romero jumped ahead of Guillen with two quick strikes. But Guillen worked the count full, taking two close fastballs near the inside corner, and fought off a high-and-tight inside fastball, flaring it to right field for the winner.

Home plate umpire Dale Scott “was calling pitches that bounced on the ground strikes in an earlier at-bat, so that was in my mind,� Guillen said. “The pitch was up and in, but I had to swing at everything because the ump was calling everything close. I put a good swing on it.�

Guillen nearly whiffed on a fly ball he lost in the Metrodome ceiling with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, but he made a nice recovery run and catch to end the game.

After Angel setup man Francisco Rodriguez retired the side in order in the eighth, extending his string of innings without allowing an earned run this season to 13 2/3, the Twins loaded the bases on Percival in the ninth on Jacque Jones’ two-out single and walks to Michael Cuddyer and pinch-hitter Jose Offerman.

Henry Blanco followed with a high fly ball to left that Guillen initially “lost for a few seconds.� He found the ball as it came down and made the catch near the line.

“I was panicking; this is a tough dome,� Guillen said. “But as soon as I caught it, I could breath a little bit.�

His clutch hit and game-ending catch helped make a winner of Lackey, who allowed six hits, including Cuddyer’s fourth-inning solo homer, struck out five and walked none, lowering his earned-run average to 5.52.

After getting rocked for 11 earned runs and 15 hits in nine innings of his first two starts, Lackey (2-3) has allowed seven earned runs and 17 hits in 20 1/3 innings of his last three starts. The right-hander has been getting ahead of hitters, throwing his breaking ball earlier in counts and spotting his fastball on both corners.

“Lackey is much more aggressive, he’s not feeling out the hitters,� said Percival, who has not allowed an earned run against the Twins in his 10-year career, a span covering 38 games and 39 2/3 innings. “He’s making a game plan and sticking with it.�

* ANGEL REPORT, BOX SCORE, D6