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Angels play small ball in win over Red Sox

Aug 8, 2007 - 7:19 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- While history was being made six hours to the north with the long ball, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were doing what they do best: winning with small ball.

The Angels scored five runs in the fifth and Joe Saunders gutted his way through 5 1/3 innings en route to a 10-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Gary Matthews Jr. drove in four runs and stole a home run by Coco Crisp with a leaping catch in center field for Anaheim, which has taken the first two games of the series from the American League East-leading Red Sox.

"Gary's catch off my bat definitely swung the momentum in the game," Crisp said. "I knew I hit the ball well but didn't think it was hit hard enough to go out."

While Barry Bonds had the market cornered for the night on homers - blasting No. 756 for the San Francisco Giants against the Washington Nationals - the Angels overcame a two-run deficit by scoring five runs in the fifth inning on the strength of just one extra-base hit.

"This team has been so resilient and for us to be down and come back and capitalize like that, shows me how good of a team we are," Matthews said.

Chone Figgins led off the frame with a walk and stole second, coming home on Orlando Cabrera's double. Boston starter Tim Wakefield (13-10) then walked All-Star Vladimir Guerrero, and Garret Anderson reached on a fielder's choice when Julio Lugo booted a routine grounder to shortstop, which loaded the bases with no outs.

"Defense is a big part of the game and there will be games when we make mistakes and games when we play great defense, it's just a part of baseball and tonight we didn't do the things to win," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Matthews followed with a single to left, plating two runs and chasing Wakefield from the game.

"I felt like I have been swinging a better bat lately, but I just try to go up there and apply pressure on the defense when our leadoff guys get on," Matthews said.

Righthander Manny Delcarmen came on in relief and got Casey Kotchman to ground to first base for the first out of the frame before Macier Izturis grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Anderson to push the Angels' lead to 6-4.

"As the game went on we had more chances to put runs on the board and we got the clutch hits that we needed tonight," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Jeff Mathis completed the scoring when he laid done a perfect squeeze bunt, with Matthews sliding past Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli.

The big inning made a winner out of the lefthander Saunders (6-0), who yielded four runs and eight hits while striking out two and issuing one walk.

"I get a lot of help from my team to get me wins," Saunders said. "I couldn't do it by myself. My team earns them as much as I do."

Wakefield, who has earned a decision in each of his starts this season, suffered his 10th loss, surrendering seven runs - six earned - and seven hits in four-plus innings.

"Just didn't have my best stuff tonight," Wakefield said. "They are a patient and good hitting team and sometimes you just have to tip your cap."

The loss, combined with the New York Yankees' win earlier in the day, leaves Boston with a five-game lead in the AL East.

"We just have to put this game behind us and get ready to come out tomorrow and manage to pull out a win in this series," Crisp said.

The Angels maintained a four-game advantage over Seattle in the AL West.

"We just have to keep worrying about one game at a time and just go out and play hard," Matthews said. "People are starting to see how we play."