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Morales, Guerrero dazzle in four-run eighth as Angels rally

Aug 29, 2007 - 7:16 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) - Kendry Morales homered and drove in the go-ahead run, and Vladimir Guerrero went 4-for-5 with three RBI to help the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rally for a 10-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

With the score tied at 6-6 in the eighth inning, Seattle reliever Brandon Morrow (3-3) walked Gary Matthews Jr., who stole second before Morales hit an RBI double high off the left field wall for one-run lead.

Reggie Willits drew a two-out walk and Orlando Cabrera singled to load the bases, chasing Morrow. Guerrero greeted Rick White with a broken-bat single to left on the first pitch, making it 9-6.

White's wild pitch advanced the runners and Garret Anderson was walked intentionally to reload the bases for Maicer Izturis, who capped the four-run uprising with an RBI single.

Justin Speier (2-3) worked two innings out of the bullpen for the win, which helped the Angels (78-54) take a four-game lead over the Mariners (73-57) in the American League West Division.

The Angels broke a 5-5 tie against reliever Sean Green in the seventh, when Jeff Mathis drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on Guerrero's two-out double. After Anderson was walked intentionally, Morrow entered and got Izturis to foul out, avoiding further damage.

But Seattle knotted the game once again with a run in the bottom half as Yuniesky Betancourt doubled and came home on Ichiro Suzuki's single to make it 6-6.

Riding a four-game winning streak, Mariners starter Jeff Weaver failed to hold a 5-0 lead. He gave up five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, departing with one out in the fifth after giving up a run-scoring single to Cabrera that Anaheim's deficit to 5-4.

"There's no one to blame except myself," Weaver said. "Everybody did their job. I just gave away a big lead early and made the mistake of getting away from the game plan early. And they made me pay because of it."

The Mariners jumped all over starter Ervin Santana early, scoring five runs in the first - including two on a double by Jose Guillen to right-center field. Santana allowed two triples, a double, a single and two walks, recording just one out before being lifted.

"I didn't think Ervin was getting the ball anywhere near where he had to, and there was no sense for him grinding any further," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Scioscia remains undecided on Santana's future in the rotation.

"We're going to have to evaluate some things," Scioscia said. "We tried a lot of different things, and at times he's been electric and at times he has stubbed his toe, like he did (tonight)."

Anaheim's huge rally prevented the righthander from collecting his seventh consecutive loss and 10th setback on the road this season.

Suzuki hit a leadoff triple, Jose Vidro walked and Guillen lined a two-run double, then took third on the throw to the plate. Santana walked Raul Ibanez, and Adrian Beltre tripled into the right field corner for a 4-0 lead.

After Richie Sexson grounded out, Kenji Johjima made it 5-0 with a single.

Dustin Moseley saved the day for the Angels, tossing 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. The righthander limited Seattle to just two hits and a walk while striking out two, allowing his team to climb back into the game.

"You get ready on pure adrenalin," Moseley said. "You gotta get going. Pure adrenalin gets you going. There's not time for stretching or preparing like if you knew you were coming in the next inning."

An errant throw by Mariners right fielder Guillen in the third led to an unearned run for the Angels. After Weaver walked Howie Kendrick to open the inning, Mathis lined a single to right, but Guillen misfired to third, allowing Kendrick to score when the ball eluded Beltre.

Consecutive homers by Matthews and Morales with two outs in the fourth drew the Angels within 5-3.

"We just did not make some pitches when we had to all the way through the game," Mariners manager John McLaren said.