Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Angels Cut A's Lead To 2 Games

Garret Anderson hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning, Darin Erstad had a three-run homer and the Anaheim Angels beat Oakland 5-3 Saturday to move back within two games of the AL West-leading Athletics.

Jermaine Dye hit a two-run shot for the Athletics, who won the series opener Friday night. Mark Mulder will pitch for Oakland against John Lackey in Sunday's finale.

Anderson greeted Ricardo Rincon with a liner down the right-field line, giving Anaheim a 4-3 lead. Rincon had just replaced Chad Bradford (5-7), who hit Jose Guillen with a pitch leading off the inning.

Alfredo Amezaga came in as a pinch-runner for Guillen and scored easily from first base on Anderson's hit. Chone Figgins' RBI single later in the inning gave Anaheim a two-run edge.

Francisco Rodriguez (4-1) pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four to run his total to 118 for the season, tops among major league relievers.

Troy Percival worked the ninth to earn his 30th save in 35 chances. He has 30 or more saves in seven consecutive seasons.

The Angels began the day tied with Texas for second place in the AL West. Both teams were six games behind Boston in the wild-card race.

Erstad homered off Mark Redman in the fifth inning. Anderson doubled twice for Anaheim.

Dye tied it at 3 with a two-run homer off Jarrod Washburn in the sixth inning.

After Washburn and Redman pitched four shutout innings apiece, each team rapidly put up three runs.

Mark Kotsay's RBI single gave the A's a short-lived 1-0 lead in the fifth, then Erstad homered in the bottom of the inning.

In the sixth, Eric Chavez singled with one out, then Dye homered. It was the 21st of the year for Dye, who came into the game with a .448 (13-for-29) batting average and one home run against Washburn.

Erstad's homer off Redman in the fifth was his first since Aug. 19 and seventh of the year.

Washburn gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two. In his last four starts, Washburn has three losses and one no-decision.

Redman allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

The A's won 6-3 Friday night.