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Anderson, Angels top Rangers

Sep 21, 2008 - 5:07 AM By John Tranchina PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Garret Anderson and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continue to roll.

Backed by Anderson's three hits and three RBI, the Angels defeated the Texas Rangers, 7-3, on Saturday for their 10th win in 13 games.

Erick Aybar had a pair of hits and scored twice for the Angels (95-59), who lead the Tampa Bay Rays (92-61) by 2 1/2 games for the best record in the American League. The win was their major league-leading 46th on the road this season.

"It certainly has importance and it's good that we have it for at least one step of our total goal is for the season," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said about home-field advantage. "We're finishing up with eight more games and we have an opportunity to accomplish everything in the regular season that can be accomplished and that's important to us."

Anaheim snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning as Vicente Padilla (13-8) walked leadoff hitter Sean Rodriguez, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rodriguez went to third on Aybar's single and scored on Padilla's second wild pitch of the inning.

A line-drive single to right field by Anderson brought home Aybar to make it 5-3.

"We had some good at-bats," Scioscia said of the deciding rally. "The leadoff walk by Sean Rodriguez was good. They opened the door with the (wild pitches), and Aybar and (Anderson) followed with some hits. We had a lot of positive things happening. We had the opportunities and we cashed in on them."

That spelled the end for Padilla, who gave up five runs, seven hits and three walks while also hitting a batter in six-plus innings. The righthander, who struck out five, fell to 5-1 in 10 starts against AL West opponents this year.

The Angels added two more runs in the ninth to put away the game. Kendry Morales' double plated Aybar and Bill White walked Gary Matthews Jr. with the bases loaded.

"That's a pretty good team," Texas manager Ron Washington said of the Angels. "They can pitch, hit, run the bases, they have a good bullpen. They have everything."

Anaheim jumped on top in the third inning. After Padilla hit Aybar on the inside of his left knee with a pitch, Anderson drilled a two-run blast - his 15th of the season - just over the wall in right for a 2-0 lead.

"(Anderson) has really come to life," Scioscia said of the Angels' outfielder, who has eight multi-hit efforts in his last 13 outings. "He's on a good streak and got us going tonight. It's good to see."

The Rangers got even as Joaquin Arias plated a run with a groundout in the bottom half and Chris Davis delivered an RBI single an inning later.

Brandon Wood restored the lead for the Angels in the sixth with a run-scoring single, but Hank Blalock answered with an RBI base hit in the bottom half to knot the contest at 3-3.

Justin Speier (2-8) tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings and three other relievers bridged the gap to Francisco Rodriguez, who extended his major league record with his 60th save by inducing a flyout by Nelson Cruz.

"All I've got to say is that I feel so happy and so proud the way things have been going," Rodriguez said. "Sixty, I've accomplished something that. We just got to keep going, the season's not over yet."

Dustin Moseley lasted five-plus innings for Anaheim, surrendering three runs and eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts.