Newcomers Already a Big Hit

The beauty of Garret Anderson’s new four-year, $48-million contract extension, teammate Tim Salmon was saying after the deal was announced Tuesday, is that the Angels rewarded the loyalty and consistency of an outfielder they raised in their organization, from Anderson’s selection in the 1990 draft out of Granada Hills Kennedy High through his ascent to big-league stardom.

“It’s always nice when you get free agents,” Salmon said, “but it means more when you take care of your own.”

That may be true, but as the Angels were reminded Tuesday night, it can’t hurt to take care of a few key free agents too.

Vladimir Guerrero, who signed a five-year, $70-million deal this winter, ripped a two-run home run in the fifth inning and electrified an Angel Stadium sellout crowd of 43,443 with a mad dash home from first base during a three-run seventh, as the Angels rallied for a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Seattle Mariners in Tuesday night’s home opener.

And left fielder Jose Guillen, who signed a two-year, $6-million deal this winter, provided the impetus for Guerrero’s 270-foot sprint, breaking a 4-4 tie with a two-run double in the seventh, as the Angels made the first home opener for owner Arte Moreno, who shelled out $146 million in the free-agent market this winter and -- fittingly -- threw out the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday night, a memorable one.

“It’s a great feeling to do it before the home crowd -- hopefully there’s many more to come,” Guillen said. “This is a great lineup. Everybody’s talking about Boston and the Yankees, but we like our chances. We’ve got some great hitters. We’ll have a great season if everybody stays healthy. It’s going to be exciting.”

There was some question about how Guerrero, who spent his entire seven-year career with the National League’s Montreal Expos, would adjust to American League pitching, but if his performance against Seattle right-hander Joel Pineiro is any indication, the transition will be brief.

Guerrero smacked the first two pitches he saw from Pineiro last Wednesday for a double and a home run, and he cut the Angels’ 4-0 deficit in half Tuesday night when he crushed a 1-and-0 Pineiro slider far over the wall in left-center field for a two-run homer -- his third of the season.

“It was the same thing that happened in Seattle, the same exact pitch,” Pineiro said. “It’s deja vu. It was a slider down.”

So was a sixth-inning Pineiro pitch to Angel catcher Bengie Molina, who was making his 2004 debut after sitting out the first seven games because of a strained left hamstring. After Adam Kennedy’s two-out single, Molina lofted a two-run homer to left that tied the score, 4-4.

Darin Erstad and Guerrero then opened the seventh with singles off reliever Rafael Soriano, and Anderson flied to right off left-hander Mike Myers, advancing Erstad to third.

Guillen, hitless in his first three at-bats, drilled the first offering from reliever Julio Mateo into the left-field corner. Erstad jogged home with the tie-breaking run, and Guerrero, with a bum right knee that relegated him to a designated hitter role Tuesday night, raced all the way around from first to score for a 6-4 lead.

“Running full speed, he’s fine,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I think it irritates him when has to stop. But he was fine. Those were two good relay throws, and he beat them.”

Guillen alertly took third on the throw home and scored on Salmon’s RBI groundout for a 7-4 lead. The rally made a winner of Scot Shields, who threw a scoreless seventh inning in relief of starter Kelvim Escobar to improve to 2-0.

Francisco Rodriguez was nicked for an unearned run in the eighth, but closer Troy Percival, making his first appearance in six days, retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save.

Escobar spoke Monday of not letting the emotions of the home opener overwhelm him, admitting that pitching in such conditions “makes you a little more aggressive -- you just have to tell yourself to relax, let it flow, instead of trying to overpower guys.”

The right-hander didn’t seem to heed his own advice in the first inning Tuesday. With a runner on second and a 3-and-1 count on Seattle designated hitter Edgar Martinez, Escobar hurled a 95-mph fastball toward the plate that didn’t seem well thought out.

Martinez, who began with a .519 career average (14 for 27) against Escobar, rocketed the ball over the wall in left for a 2-0 Mariner lead. Seattle added single runs in the third (Raul Ibanez sacrifice fly) and fourth (Randy Winn RBI single) innings, but Pineiro and the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, and the Mariners fell to 1-6.