Angels finally flex muscles

So much for all that talk of an Angels home run drought.

Garret Anderson’s three-run home run in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Angels to a 10-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Angel Stadium.

The Angels had hit home runs only twice in their previous 19 games and ranked last in the American League with 66 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero has gone 26 games and 105 at-bats without a home run, the longest drought of his career.

So imagine the boost Anderson provided with his home run against reliever Tim Byrdak, made all the more memorable because an 11-year-old Angels fan, Luis Castillo, caught the ball from the right-field seats with his glove while seemingly hanging over the railing. That prompted the umpires to huddle briefly, then rule the home run would stand despite pleading from Manager Jim Leyland.

The Angels didn’t stop there, turning it into a seven-run inning that culminated with a two-run home run by Orlando Cabrera.

By winning, the Angels maintained their four-game lead over Seattle in the AL West.

“Those two home runs were a welcome addition to our offense,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Even more surprising than the sudden power surge were three hits from the Angels’ new starting catcher, 24-year-old Jeff Mathis, who was thrust into the lineup after Mike Napoli was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained hamstring.

Entering the game with two hits in 21 at-bats, Mathis contributed a single in the fifth inning that led to a run, had a run-scoring single in the sixth that tied the score, 3-3, had a double in the eighth and ran over catcher Mike Rabelo to jar the ball loose and score in the same inning.

“He’s an ex-football player,” Scioscia said. “He saw the goal line and went for it.”

Equally impressive was the performance of the Angels’ bullpen. Starter Joe Saunders gave up eight hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Chris Bootcheck, Justin Speier, Scot Shields (3-3) and Darren Oliver gave up three hits the rest of the way.

The Angels were forced to grind it out against starter Andrew Miller, a 22-year-old left-hander who was college baseball’s top pitcher in 2006 at North Carolina. Aided by three double plays, the left-hander shut out the Angels for four innings.

Finally breaking through in the fifth, the Angels tied the score, 1-1, on Reggie Willits’ run-scoring single on an 0-and-2 count.

In the sixth, the Tigers seemingly took charge when Magglio Ordonez hit his 16th home run, a two-run shot to left-center field to open a 3-1 advantage.

The Angels tied the score in the sixth inning, getting a run-scoring double from pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman and a run-scoring single from Mathis after Anderson had been walked intentionally.

Intentional walks did not work for the Tigers. The decisive eighth inning started with Guerrero reaching base on an infield single, followed by a Kotchman sacrifice. Then Gary Matthews Jr. was walked intentionally, setting the stage for Anderson’s fifth home run.

Whether the sudden power surge changes plans for the Angels remains to be seen. General Manager Bill Stoneman continues to work the phones and must decide by Tuesday’s trading deadline whether another bat is needed and at what cost.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com