Long Night Ended Quickly by Salmon : Baseball: Rookie’s homer in 15th inning gives the Angels a 3-2 victory over the Indians.

Tim Salmon ended Wednesday’s game with a bang, 16 minutes before it bled into Thursday morning.

The Angel rookie’s first home run at Anaheim Stadium and the second of his major league career, hit off Derek Lilliquist (5-3) with two out in the 15th inning, gave the Angels a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians and set off fireworks for the remaining fans of the crowd of 18,141.

Scott Lewis (2-0), who relieved Chuck Finley at the start of the 11th inning, retired 13 consecutive batters until he issued a one-out walk to Felix Fermin in the 15th inning. The Indians were unable to take advantage of that because Mark Lewis bounced into a double play.

The victory was Scott Lewis’ first since April 17.

Finley overcame an unsteady start and pitched 10 innings, the longest outing of his career. He retired 11 consecutive batters, from the last out of the fifth inning until Carlos Martinez singled with one out in the ninth. Finley then retired the next five batters, sparing the Angel bullpen some work.

Each team had excellent chances to win the game before the hour grew late.

Cleveland’s Thomas Howard was thrown out at the plate in the top of the 11th inning after he doubled, stole third and tried to score on Albert Belle’s soft grounder to shortstop. Howard was out easily at home, not bothering to try to bowl over catcher Mike Fitzgerald.

The Angels missed an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth after Luis Polonia singled, stole second and took third when second baseman Carlos Baerga couldn’t hold a throw from catcher Junior Ortiz. Damion Easley ended that threat when he struck out, the 12th by Indian pitchers. The Angels struck out 17 times, one short of the club record set on June 17, 1978, at New York against Ron Guidry.

Cleveland starter Jack Armstrong matched his personal best by striking out nine in seven innings, but Lee Stevens’ two-run, two-out single in the sixth kept him from recording his first road victory of the season. He is 0-9 away from Cleveland Stadium and 5-14 overall.

Playing as if the game determined their postseason plans and wasn’t just an exercise in playing out the September schedule, the Angels and Indians refused to give in.

Finley had a busy first three innings, but two superb defensive plays by Junior Felix helped him limit the Indians’ damage to a run.

Cleveland’s defense gave Armstrong excellent support. Shortstop Mark Lewis made three plays that were highlight-film material.

Leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton tried to use his speed once too often in the first inning and paid for it. He singled and stole second, but was caught stealing third on a fine throw by Angel catcher John Orton.

Felix saved a run in the second inning with his spectacular catch on Martinez’s drive to center. Felix leaped above the fence in deep right-center to catch the ball. Glenallen Hill doubled down the left-field line, but Brook Jacoby grounded out to end the inning.

The Indians got to Finley for a run in the third inning and made it 2-0 in the fifth.

Finley walked the leadoff hitter, Ortiz, and then gave up a single to Lofton. Felix threw Ortiz out at third, but Lofton took second on that play. Howard walked and Baerga singled off shortstop Gary DiSarcina’s glove, scoring Lofton.

Howard’s two-out hit in the fifth inning made it 2-0.