Fifth in a Row Is Triple Good

The Angels shook off another unproductive start from left-hander Jim Abbott and a three-run, eighth-inning deficit to defeat the Detroit Tigers, 6-5, Sunday night at Anaheim Stadium.

The winning run came from a 150-foot bloop single by Chili Davis and a 325-foot frozen-rope triple by Garret Anderson in a four-run eighth inning.

Troy Percival, continuing his temp job as closer while Lee Smith is on the disabled list, pitched a perfect ninth to record his American League-leading sixth save and second in as many games.

Don Slaught, backup catcher to Jorge Fabregas, hit his third home run, a bases-empty shot off Detroit starter Greg Gohr in the second.

And so it goes for the Angels, who won their fifth in a row. “It’s a different person every night,” said Anderson, whose triple off reliever Richie Lewis scored Davis and capped the eighth.

“That’s the best kind of win,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said after the Angels’ sixth come-from-behind victory this year. “It makes you feel like you should never give up.”

Good against the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays is one thing. Good against the AL powerhouses is another matter.

Except for two games against Seattle, both losses, the Angels haven’t exactly faced any clubs that would make World Series champion Atlanta nervous.

Fact is the Angels have cruised through the AL’s second division for the better part of the season’s first three weeks. And what do they have to show for it? They’re only two games above .500 and trail first-place Texas by 3 1/2 games.

“I don’t think our emotions have changed too much,” Anderson said of the winning streak. “It’s just another win. What it boils down to is that it’s still early.”

If there is an area of concern for the Angels, who go for a four-game sweep of Detroit tonight, it’s this:

Abbott has been mediocre in four starts this season, losing his first three and drawing no decision Sunday. Lachemann said he believed Abbott threw well in his last start, “except for giving up the grand slam,” referring to Dan Wilson’s seventh inning grand slam that helped make Seattle a 5-3 winner last Tuesday at the Kingdome.

Sunday, Abbott fared reasonably well until stumbling in the midst of a three-run Detroit sixth. His work ended after giving up a two-run homer to Daniel Bautista and a single to Alan Trammell.

In all, Abbott gave up six hits and five runs with one strikeout and a career-high six walks.

Later, Lachemann slipped headlong into ballspeak to explain Abbott’s troubles. He said Abbott is “on a tight-pitch sequence.”

Sure, that sounds like gibberish, but what it actually means is that Abbott is told to throw only a certain pitch during a certain situation--strictly fastballs on a 2-and-2 count, for example.

“We’re not allowing him much margin for error,” Lachemann said.

Said Abbott: “We’ve been working on getting command of the inside part of the plate and staying with my strengths. I didn’t put much of that into practice today.”

Middle reliever Mark Eichhorn, who had his own troubles last time out against Seattle, held the Tigers in check for three innings. He had given up two hits and one run in blowing a save last Monday, when the Angels turned a 9-1 lead into an 11-10 loss.

This time he was sound, striking out three and giving up one hit to record his first victory since July 30, 1994, when he was a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

When Gohr tired in the eighth and Manager Buddy Bell went to the bullpen, the Angels pounced.

Gary DiSarcina and Randy Velarde singled. Jim Edmonds doubled home DiSarcina. Velarde scored on a groundout. Davis’ blooper over the drawn-in infield scored Edmonds. Anderson then knocked in Davis with his drive to right.