Biggest Bang Is Kennedy’s

The Angel offense remains remarkably undaunted. If it must carry the Angels into contention for one more day, one more week, even another month, then it appears willing.

Rookie Adam Kennedy hit two home runs Tuesday night, the second with a runner on base in the eighth inning, and the Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners, 7-6, before a crowd of 43,487 at Edison Field. The club’s third sellout, this one inspired in part by postgame fireworks, included Kennedy’s parents, Tom and Sue.

“Just one of those days,” Kennedy said. “You get good pitches to hit and you don’t miss them.”

Kennedy hit a first-pitch fastball from Mariner reliever Jose Mesa (2-5) with one out in the eighth. Six innings earlier, he hit a two-run homer on a changeup from Mariner starter Gil Meche. It was the first multi-homer game of his career.

Asked to describe the feeling of the late home run and the joyous celebration that engulfed him in the dugout, Kennedy said, “You just gotta feel it.”

With most of the crowd on its feet cheering, closer Troy Percival struck out Mike Cameron to end the game and bring the Angels to within six games of the Mariners, who lead the American League West. The save was Percival’s 20th.

“When it’s all said and done,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said, “it’s a big win for us.”

With the Mariners leading, 6-5, Garret Anderson led off the eighth inning with an infield single against Mariner left-hander Arthur Rhodes. Mesa relieved and retired Troy Glaus, then threw the fastball to Kennedy. Kennedy hit it into the right-field seats for his sixth home run.

The Angels had rallied from two late deficits, but appeared on the verge of falling eight games behind the Mariners. They kept hitting, however, for another of their signature wins, despite a hard-luck start by Kent Bottenfield.

Bottenfield started well but struggled to pitch around the uneven play behind him and, later, an equally uneven call at first base.

He allowed only Alex Rodriguez’s solo home run in the first inning until the Mariners scored four runs in the sixth, then another in the seventh.

Ranked in the bottom half of American League defenses, the Angels played a lead part in Bottenfield’s unruly sixth inning. Center fielder Garret Anderson and left fielder Orlando Palmeiro had a catchable ball fall between them to begin the inning, and Anderson twice appeared to miss cutoff men as Bottenfield toiled through 10 batters.

Anderson’s first wayward throw allowed a runner to advance into scoring position. It was his first error since June 19, 1999, a span of 161 games.

Edgar Martinez’s two-out double scored Rodriguez from first in the seventh inning. The Mariners led again, 6-5.

Rodriguez was on base because umpire Fieldin Culbreth called him safe on the back end of what appeared to be a double play groundout. Television replays confirmed that Rodriguez was out.

Bottenfield threw a tight 54 pitches through five innings, including first-pitch strikes to the first 12 batters, then threw 37 pitches in the sixth. John Olerud, who hit two home runs against Bottenfield on Thursday in Seattle, had a two-run double.

“That was big,” Bottenfield said of his early success. “I was ahead in the count and they were swinging defensively most of the game.

“I feel some pressure to pitch the way I can. This has gone on long enough. I’m here to win games, not just to get by.”

It is July, trading deadline season, and the Angels are a 20-win month out of first place in the AL West, at least.

Their surplus is in veteran pitchers who are A) hurt, B) pitching poorly or C) both. That won’t play particularly well even in a national market desperate for pitching.

Still, Atlanta, Cincinnati and Cleveland, among others, were curious enough about Bottenfield to send scouts to measure him against the surging Mariners. Several scouts were given the impression by their superiors that Bottenfield, Tim Belcher and Ken Hill can be had in a trade for prospects.

Bottenfield, at 31, would appear to have the most value--to the Angels and to major-league shoppers. First, however, he would have to pitch better, and he did.