Hudler Does Homework, Then Steals Home : Angels: Second baseman studied pitcher last Sunday while in Detroit, and figured he could surprise him.

Rex Hudler had been thinking about it since Sunday, wondering what might have happened if he took a few steps off third base, then set out for home plate against Detroit left-hander David Wells.

He held off trying to steal home against Wells Sunday at Tiger Stadium. Friday, he simply couldn’t pass up the chance in the first inning.

Home plate was there for the taking, so Hudler took it.

“I measured him up in Detroit,” Hudler said of Wells. “I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll see him again.’ ”

That day came Friday. Hudler led off the first inning with a walk, stole second, went to third on a groundout and figured he might as well take a crack at swiping home.

“I told [third base coach] Rick Burleson, ‘I’m going to take him,’ ” Hudler said. “I walked down the line and took off.”

Wells never had a chance.

Chili Davis, the batter, held his ground until the last minute, enhancing the element of surprise, and Hudler slid safely home for the Angels’ first run.

With two outs and Davis at the plate in the first inning, it just didn’t figure. Plus, the Angels went into the game with an American League-low 29 stolen bases. And Hudler had only five before Friday.

Wells didn’t bother to check on what Hudler was doing at third base, however.

“He never looked,” Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson said after the Tigers’ 4-3 victory at Anaheim Stadium. “You don’t have to tell me he didn’t look. I know he didn’t look. He didn’t look the pitch before either.”

If Wells was surprised, Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann was downright shocked.

“I was surprised he took off for second,” Lachemann said. “Fortunately, Chili had his eyes open. There’s a pretty good element of surprise in the first inning with Chili Davis batting.”

Hudler’s theft was the first Angel steal of home since catcher Chris Turner stole home in a double steal July 5, 1994. Hudler was the first Angel to steal home at Anaheim Stadium since Devon White went for a hat trick against Boston on Sept. 9, 1989. White stole second, third and then home.

If only the Angels had won, capitalizing on Hudler’s early initiative, his night would have been complete.

But Wells rebounded to pitch eight strong innings, keeping a watchful eye on the few Angel baserunners who reached after the first inning. Hudler, coming off a four-hit game in Thursday’s 10-3 victory over Toronto, never reached base again. He grounded out, struck out and flied out twice.

In the ninth, with closer Mike Henneman relieving Wells, Hudler came to the plate with two outs and a runner on first base.

“The first pitch I wanted to hit a home run,” said Hudler, who batted lead off because Tony Phillips was rested and did not start. “Then I said, ‘There’s no way I’m going to hit a home run off this guy.’ So I just tried to dunk one in there [in front of the outfielders].”

Center fielder Chad Curtis, playing deep, raced in to catch Hudler’s blooper and end the game.