Angels Still in It for Long Haul

An already grueling 13-game road trip turned into a 13 1/2-game road trip Thursday, as the Angels and Oakland Athletics played so deep into the afternoon it seemed the game would stretch into October.

Then in the top of the 14th, after two of the American League’s best bullpens had matched zeros for five innings, the Angels struck with a sudden and forceful three-run rally that punctured the heart of a team that seemed destined to play much deeper into October.

Troy Glaus led off the 14th with his league-leading 45th home run, and Orlando Palmeiro added a two-run double to lift the Angels to a 6-3 victory over the A’s in a 4-hour, 42-minute marathon played before 12,523 in the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s, who have won seven of nine, caught two huge breaks Thursday, as division-leading Seattle lost to Texas and wild-card contending Cleveland lost to Minnesota.

The A’s remain a half-game behind the Mariners in the West and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Indians in the wild card. Oakland has three games left against Texas at home and a makeup game at Tampa Bay Monday if necessary, while the Mariners close with a three-game series against the Angels in Anaheim.

Moments after Angel closer Troy Percival struck out three in the ninth for his 32nd save, the A’s became the biggest Angel fans in the country.

“Anaheim is a team that can scare you,” A’s outfielder Matt Stairs said after Oakland took three of four from the Angels. “Let’s just hope they take this home with them and play this well against Seattle.”

Oakland has been baseball’s hottest team in September, going 19-7, and the A’s bullpen had not given up a home run since Aug. 20 at Detroit, a span covering 31 games, 97 1/3 innings and 433 batters.

But Glaus ripped a 1-1 Scott Service slider over the wall in left for his 44th home run as a third baseman, breaking the previous American League record of 43 homers by a third baseman, set by Cleveland’s Al Rosen in 1953. One of his homers came as a designated hitter.

“Glaus has been sensational all year,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “You have to pinch yourself as a reminder he’s only 24. He’s grown into a premier power hitter at a very young age, and he’ll get better and better.”

Bengie Molina, who caught all 14 innings, followed Glaus’ homer with a single, and Adam Kennedy bunted Molina to second. Kevin Stocker struck out, Darin Erstad was intentionally walked, and Palmeiro drove a double over the head of 360-degree-spinning center fielder Terrence Long for a 6-3 lead.

Percival then finished another strong relief effort, as he and fellow Angel relievers Ben Weber, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Mark Petkovsek, Mike Fyhrie and Mike Holtz combined to give up one run in nine innings.

“We’re taking pride in what we do, and as a competitor, you want to win,” Glaus said. “We wish we were in their position, but we can still take pride in having something to say about who wins the division.”

Scott Spiezio, who was released by the A’s last year, tormented his former teammates with a solo home run in the first and a two-run shot in the fifth, giving him 17 homers on the year and the Angels a 3-0 lead.

But the A’s scratched two runs out in the fifth on Angel starter Scott Karl’s fielding error. With runners on second and third, Long chopped a grounder to the right of first baseman Mo Vaughn.

Vaughn fielded the ball and made an off-balance throw to Karl, who was covering first. But the low throw handcuffed Karl, who juggled the ball and dropped it while Grieve and Chavez scored to make it 3-2.

The A’s took advantage of some rare Hasegawa control problems--or did home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming’s strike zone suddenly shrink?--to tie the game in the eighth.

Hasegawa, who had walked as many as three batters only once in 64 previous appearances, walked two in the seventh and two to open the eighth. Miguel Tejada fouled off one bunt attempt and fell behind, 1-2, but he ripped Hasegawa’s next pitch into center for an RBI single and a 3-3 tie.

From that point on, though, the A’s couldn’t get a runner to second.

“This game is not going to help us in the standings,” Scioscia said, “but these guys keep amazing me with the way they don’t quit.”

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Seattle, Oakland, Cleveland and New York all lost. Seattle maintained a one-half game lead over Oakland, which leads Cleveland by 1 1/2 in the wild-card race. New York still needs a win to clinch a spot.