Angels Are the Latest to Push Tigers Around

Gary DiSarcina returned.

Ken Hill stuck around awhile.

Tim Salmon and Mo Vaughn continued to pop in.

Scott Spiezio made a big appearance.

Mix in the meandering Detroit Tigers and the Angels had the right crowd Monday. With that ensemble, they eased to a 10-4 victory in front of 16,433 at Edison Field.

Hill went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs. DiSarcina, just back from a thumb injury, was smooth in the field and had a two-run single. Salmon and Vaughn showed further signs of stirring with home runs. Spiezio hit two homers, part of a 14-hit barrage.

“We got a great effort from everyone tonight,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Even the manager?

“I gave the 10-run sign before the game,” Scioscia said.

Before Angel fans get too worked up, this was the Tigers, who have given up 80 runs in losing eight straight games.

They have the worst record in baseball at 4-14. They have the lowest batting average in the American League, not to mention the fewest runs and fewest home runs--the Tigers lumped together three straight hits in an inning Sunday for the first time this season.

How could things be any worse?

Well, the Tigers lost third baseman Dean Palmer, their leader in home runs (five) and runs batted in (13), when he suffered a back injury during batting practice.

They then lost third base coach Doug Mansolino, who was ejected in the third inning. Hitting coach Bill Madlock and Manager Phil Garner followed him to the clubhouse--both were tossed out before the sixth inning--giving the Tigers, who had five players thrown out Saturday after brawling with the Chicago White Sox, eight ejections in the last three games.

In short, they were fodder just lying there for the Angels, almost to a man, to chew up.

“We’ve been scoring a lot of runs and Mo and I haven’t been hot,” said Salmon, who was hitting .188 entering the game. “We’ve had a couple games here and there, but we haven’t put up the big stats. It’s nice to have four or five guys in the lineup who can carry a club for a few games in a row.”

Salmon and Vaughn did some toting Monday.

Salmon had a towering home run into the bullpen to give the Angels a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Vaughn launched a 3-2 pitch into the right-field seats in the fifth for a 7-3 lead.

Vaughn also had a two-run double in the sixth and finished with four runs batted in. He has three home runs and has driven in 11 runs in the last six games.

Add to that Spiezio’s solo home runs in the second and sixth innings.

“Our offense is doing things I expected this season,” Scioscia said. “And we haven’t got a lot from the middle of our lineup. You have to be encouraged.”

Hill needed all the encouragement the Angels could muster.

He hadn’t gone beyond the fourth inning in his two previous starts and his earned-run average had climbed to 8.84.

Hill (2-3) struggled early Monday, but gutted out a 114-pitch outing, getting out of second-and-third situations in the first and fourth innings.

More such performances--many more--might earn him the $6-million option for next season. He needs to make 33 starts or pitch 190 innings for the contract to be guaranteed.

“It felt good to come back from my last start,” said Hill, who is 6-0 lifetime against the Tigers. “I was able to grind it out and keep the team in the game.”

DiSarcina, who was activated after missing 14 games with a bruised left thumb, helped out in the fourth, snagging Gregg Jefferies’ liner to end the fourth inning.

“People outside the club may not know how important DiSar is,” Scioscia said. “He’s the glue to our infield. His head is in the game every pitch. That’s the type of guys you win with. That’s not even mentioning his clutch hitting.”

DiSarcina hit into two double plays, one a odd 1-6-3-6 play, when catcher Benjie Molina didn’t realize he was called safe at second base. But DiSarcina also hit a two-run single in the fourth for a 6-2 lead.

“I’ve been taking batting practice for four or five days, but it is tough to gauge where you’re at,” DiSarcina said. “But it was time to go.”