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Anderson slams Angels to 8th-straight victory

Outfielder's seventh career grand slam gives L.A. 5-1 win over Texas in 11

Image: Garret Anderson
Angels' outfielder Garret Anderson belted a grand slam in the 11th inning Tuesday night.
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updated 1:26 a.m. ET June 29, 2005

ARLINGTON, Texas - Garret Anderson did exactly what he wanted to do with the bases loaded in the 11th inning, and extended the Los Angeles Angels’ winning streak in the process.

After the Texas Rangers intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero to load the bases with none out, Anderson hit a ball in the air. It landed in the stands for a grand slam, giving the Angels their eighth straight victory, 5-1 on Tuesday night.

“Just don’t hit the ball on the ground, that’s about as much as I thought of right there,” said Anderson, whose seventh career slam was his first since May 8, 2003. “I looked for a fastball to hit. Fortunately, he left it in a spot I could get it up in the air.”

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Anderson pulled an 0-1 pitch from left-hander Brian Shouse into the first row of seats in right.

Los Angeles began its winning streak with a three-game sweep of the second-place Rangers last week. The Angels have an 8½-game lead in the AL West with two more games to play in Texas this week.

“We’re very frustrated,” said Rangers manager Buck Showalter, whose team lost for the eighth time in nine games. “We’re trying not to get bogged down in our situation. We want it to go away as soon as possible.”

The Angels loaded the bases against Kameron Loe (0-1) in the 11th. Chone Figgins had a leadoff single before Darin Erstad doubled and Guerrero, who has a hit in all 29 career games he’s played against the Rangers, was intentionally walked.

Even though Anderson was hitting .356 against lefties, the Rangers brought in Shouse, their sidearming reliever. Anderson had never gotten a hit off Shouse before the homer, his ninth this season.

“You play by the book, and that’s what I expect,” Anderson said. “If they don’t play by the book, they are going to have to answer questions after the game if it doesn’t work out.”

For the Rangers, that also meant not giving Guerrero a chance to swing the bat in the 11th.

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“We’re as comfortable with Garret in that situation as with Vlad,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You have to be. You can’t just bank on one guy to get all of your clutch hits.”

Guerrero’s RBI double in the first inning extended his hitting streak against the Rangers. But he grounded out to start the ninth against Francisco Cordero, who then struck out Anderson and Juan Rivera.

The Rangers had two on with one out in the ninth against Scot Shields before Laynce Nix grounded out and Rod Barajas popped out.


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