Angels Seek a Meaning to End

Securing that extra day of rest might not be a problem for Joe Saunders pretty soon.

Any combination of two more victories by the Oakland Athletics or two losses by the Angels and the rookie left-hander will have about 180 days before making his next meaningful start.

Saunders pitched seven strong innings and Vladimir Guerrero hit two home runs to help the Angels sustain their faint playoff hopes Monday night at Angel Stadium with an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Athletics’ magic number remained at two for a third consecutive day after they blew a three-run ninth-inning lead and lost to the Seattle Mariners, 10-9, in the 10th.

The Angels gathered around a television in the clubhouse to watch the final innings of the Mariners-Athletics game.

“In the back of everyone’s minds, as soon as we lose it’s over,” said Saunders, who allowed six hits and two runs. “Our mind-set is we have to win every game.”

Oakland still has a five-game lead in the American League West with six games to play, meaning that any combination of A’s victories and Angels losses adding up to two will give the Athletics their first division title since 2003.

Oakland, which had beaten the Mariners 15 consecutive times before Monday, plays two more games in Seattle before opening a season-ending four-game series in Anaheim on Thursday.

“Hopefully, on Thursday that game will mean a lot,” Guerrero said through an interpreter.

Juan Rivera tied a career high with four hits and Orlando Cabrera had three to pace an 18-hit attack for the Angels, who scored in six of the eight innings in which they batted.

“There’s no question our guys aren’t going to melt,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’ve fought back and it would be nice to see us make these games count over the weekend.”

Playing designated hitter for a third consecutive game to rest his balky knees, Guerrero continued his career-long assault on Rangers pitching with his second multi-homer game of the season.

He curled a mammoth two-run homer inside the left-field foul pole in the first inning. In the eighth, two pitches after reliever Frank Francisco had backed him off the plate with a high-and-inside pitch, Guerrero hammered a solo homer over the wall in left-center.

“In a game like this where there’s so much at stake, we needed to come out and do a good job,” said Guerrero, who has 33 homers this season.

Tim Salmon, playing in the final homestand of his 15-year career with the Angels, received a warm reception throughout the game as highlights from his career were shown on the video board. Fans rewarded him with a standing ovation when he stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.

“Guys were teasing me the whole game,” said Salmon, who struck out looking at a 93-mph fastball. “A lot of looking at Fish on the scoreboard. It was great to get up there [but] I would like to do something at the plate that would show it back” to the fans.

Saunders improved to 3-0 with a 1.30 earned-run average when pitching on an extra day of rest. In his last four starts on the regular four days’ rest, he is 0-3 with a 23.76 ERA.

“It’s not the extra day of rest,” Saunders said. “The next start I’m going to prove you guys wrong.”

Saunders (7-3) is scheduled to start Saturday against Oakland.

“If we don’t get there” to the playoffs, Scioscia said, “it’s because of the start we had early in the year and the inconsistency we showed. But we’re going to keep playing and trying to win. That’s all we can do.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com