Homers Music to Gaetti’s Ears : Angels: He hits two during 7-6 victory over Indians and hears cheers instead of boos from smallest Anaheim Stadium crowd since 1979.

Two rare events occurred at Anaheim Stadium Tuesday: Gary Gaetti was cheered and the Angels staged a comeback victory.

Gaetti, the target of boos throughout the season, heard applause when he hit two home runs during a four-hit night, and the Angels rallied for two runs during the sixth inning to edge the Indians, 7-6.

A crowd of 17,586--the smallest at Anaheim Stadium since 16,979 on June 4, 1979--saw the Angels tag Eric Plunk (5-3) for four consecutive singles and overcome a 6-5 Cleveland lead. Chuck Crim (7-5) earned the victory by pitching two hitless relief innings.

Gaetti hit a two-run homer against starter Dennis Cook during the first, ending the team’s streak of 63 innings without a homer.

Gaetti homered against Ted Power in the fifth for his first multi-homer game as an Angel and first since May 2, 1990, while he was with Minnesota. His four hits tied a personal best.

Angel starter Tim Fortugno lasted only 1 2/3 innings, but the bullpen’s effectiveness made up for his shaky effort. Joe Grahe gave up one hit over the final two innings, stranding Albert Belle at third in the ninth to earn his 18th save in 19 opportunities.

Kenny Lofton scored the first Cleveland run as he walked, took third on Carlos Baerga’s single to right and came home on Belle’s fielder’s choice grounder to the right side. The Angels got that back and more with a two-out uprising against Cook, who had defeated them, 3-1, July 7 at Cleveland.

The Angel rally began when third baseman Brook Jacoby waved at a grounder by Tim Salmon, which was ruled an error. Gaetti then hit a 1-and-1 pitch from Cook into the left-field seats for his ninth home run of the season.

Chad Curtis hit a double to left, and he scored when Mike Fitzgerald slapped an 0-and-2 pitch into right. Fitzgerald took second on the wide throw home but was stranded when Lee Stevens grounded out.

A homer by Glenallen Hill helped the Indians take a 6-3 lead. Hill hit a 1-and-1 pitch 435 feet to left center.

That tied him with Chicago’s Frank Thomas for the second-longest homer at Anaheim Stadium this season. The longest is a 440-foot homer Baltimore’s Randy Milligan hit against Julio Valera on June 1.

Jacoby grounded out, but Lewis walked. Junior Ortiz, who replaced Sandy Alomar Jr. after Alomar developed tightness in his left knee, moved Lewis to second when he singled to right. Lofton hit an 0-and-1 pitch over the infield that hit the edge of the dirt before bouncing into left field, scoring Lewis and moving Ortiz to second.

Fortugno complicated matters when he issued a full-count walk to Mark Whiten to load the bases. Baerga took advantage of the situation by lacing a single to right-center, scoring Ortiz and Lofton.

Belle lined to short for the second out, but Fortugno couldn’t get the third out. On a 1-and-1 pitch that seemed like a batting practice lob, Carlos Martinez slapped a single through the left side, scoring Whiten with the sixth run. That sent Manager Buck Rodgers out to take the ball from Fortugno and call in Mike Butcher, who got Hill on an inning-ending force play.

The Angels closed to 6-5 during the fifth. Salmon led off with a single to left and was caught stealing, which proved crucial when Gaetti lined Powers’ 2-and-2 pitch over the left-field fence. But the Angels compensated for that in the sixth, against Eric Plunk, when they strung together four consecutive singles for a two-run rally and a 7-6 lead.