A Little Means a Lot to Angels : Baseball: They score two runs in the eighth to give Langston a 2-1 victory over the Orioles.

There’s no understating how crucial the Angels considered the eighth-inning rally Tuesday night that gave them a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

“I think all these games are important, so what can I say, that this was very, very important? “ said third baseman Gary Gaetti, whose bunt was misplayed at first by second baseman Juan Bell to give the Angels runners at first and third with none out in the eighth.

“How many verys do you want? On a scale of one to 10, it was a 10. But I think very, very important was a little better way to say it.”

The Angels expressed their happiness in different ways, but there was no mistaking their relief at winning a game in which they managed only three hits.

Their only hit in the eighth was Dave Gallagher’s hard grounder to third. Leo Gomez caught it with an acrobatic dive and made a fine throw, but first base umpire Terry Craft ruled Gallagher safe at first as Gaetti scored the decisive run.

“I was safe by an eyelash,” Gallagher said.

Replays showed he may not have beaten the throw, but Craft’s call was all that counted to the Angels and the 26,062 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

“It doesn’t matter how you get it. We needed a win, whether it came on unearned runs, earned runs, a wild pitch, walks, whatever,” said Mark Langston, who joined teammate Chuck Finley as the only 13-game winners in the American League.

“We’re going through a little offensive slump now, but we’ve got some guys who can swing the bats. All we’ve got to do as a staff is keep it close. Unfortunately, we’ve lost some real tough ballgames lately, and this was a big one to win.”

For most of the game, it appeared Gomez’s two-out homer in the second inning would be enough for the Orioles to win. Baltimore right-hander Jeff Robinson--no relation to the Angel pitcher of the same name--permitted only one runner as far as second base, that coming when Lance Parrish led off the third with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice. But Robinson foiled the Angels by striking out Dick Schofield and Luis Polonia and cruised until the eighth.

Dave Parker led off the inning with a walk, and Luis Sojo ran for him. Gaetti sacrificed, forcing Robinson to play the ball. His throw to first was playable, but Bell dropped it and let it roll away, letting Sojo reach third by sliding under the tag.

The success of that play erased some unpleasant memories for Gaetti, who popped into a double play on a sacrifice attempt in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers on June 30.

“I had flashbacks,” he said. “If you don’t (bunt) enough to feel really comfortable doing it, it’s difficult. The same thing I messed up last time, helped me this time.”

Mark Williamson came in to face Parrish, whose fly to center was deep enough to deliver Sojo with the tying run. Gaetti went to second on a wild pitch and Max Venable was walked intentionally. Bell turned Schofield’s liner into a fielder’s choice, forcing Venable at second while Gaetti took third, and the Orioles brought in left-hander Mike Flanagan to face Polonia, a left-handed hitter.

The Angels countered with Gallagher, who has been sharing time in center field with Venable while Junior Felix has been hobbled by a pulled calf muscle.

“The whole play surprised me,” Gallagher said. “I couldn’t believe (Gomez) came up with it. I made the turn like I was going to go to second, and I had to kind of come back. It was a good feeling to see (Craft) calling safe, because I knew the runner was going to score.

“Any way we can win is great, because we’re not winning that often. I think everybody else in the division lost, so this was a good one to win.”

And it took good execution to win, Manager Doug Rader said, not merely getting a favorable call from Craft on a close play.

“It was a tremendous baserunning play, Gary Gaetti got a bunt down and Lance did the job with a man at third base and less than two out,” Rader said after his team moved back within four games of the Minnesota Twins in the tight AL West race.

“Granted, there weren’t too many hits, but they did what they were called upon to do and got the job done. I don’t consider that lucky.”

After holding opponents to two runs or fewer in each of the first six games of this home stand--and having only a 2-4 record to show for it--the Angels were glad Langston’s effort wasn’t wasted. Langston’s team-leading fourth complete game was also the first game in which he didn’t walk a batter since April 8, 1989.

“The last week has been very frustrating for our starters,” Rader said. The job Mark did was exceptional. . . . When things get a little off center for you, you’ve got to hang onto something. Our pitching has been very, very good, our defense overall has been very good and the patience we’ve had with ourselves has been very good.”