ANGELS, TIGERS TIED THROUGH 11TH.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - The Angels were without outfielders Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon on Tuesday, and through 10 innings, they were without a victory.

With Erstad and Salmon nursing minor injuries and starting the game on the bench, the Angels were tied with the Detroit Tigers 5-5 in the 11th inning in front of 19,694 at Edison Field.

Seattle beat Boston on Tuesday, so the Angels could not gain ground on the American West-leading Mariners, who began the night with a two-game lead on the Angels. But a win would increase the Angels' lead in the wild-card race to two games over the Red Sox.

Angels starter Aaron Sele had gone eight consecutive starts without giving up as many as five runs in a game, but the streak ended by the fifth inning Tuesday.

The Tigers, who rank last in the majors in runs scored, scored twice in the first inning. Hiram Bocachica led off with a single and went to third on Damian Jackson's double. One out later, Bocachica scored and Jackson went to third on Randall Simon's sacrifice fly. Jackson scored on a wild pitch by Sele, even though catcher Bengie Molina blocked the ball, knocking it back toward the pitcher's mound.

Molina was slow to get to the ball from behind the plate, but he made up for it with his bat in the second inning, hitting a two-run homer that tied the game and was just his second homer of the year.

Sele, however, gave it right back in the third. Bocachica homered with one out and Jackson singled and scored on Bobby Higginson's double to right-center.

The Angels rallied to take their first lead of the game in the fourth inning, scoring three times. Scott Spiezio singled home one run, Molina hit a sacrifice fly and Adam Kennedy had an RBI double to put the Angels up 5-4.

The lead lasted only until the Tigers batted in the top of the fifth, scoring on Chris Truby's sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5.

The Angels had a chance to regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Alex Ochoa doubled and David Eckstein walked to begin the inning. But when Orlando Palmeiro missed on a bunt attempt, Ochoa was caught too far off second and picked off by Tigers catcher Brandon Inge.

Sele reached the sixth inning, but after giving up a single and a walk, he was replaced by Brendan Donnelly, who got out of the inning without allowing a run. It was the first time Sele failed to go six innings in nine starts, going back to June 24. Tuesday, he gave up five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

Tigers starter Jose Lima was no better, allowing five runs and six hits in four-plus innings.

The bullpens from both teams fared better than the starters. Once the starters were out of the game, neither team scored again until the 10th. Donnelly was perfect in 2 1/3 innings in relief of Sele, striking out four. Brian Powell threw three scoreless innings in relief of Lima.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

Angels starter Aaron Sele gave up five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings against Detroit at Edison Field.

Krista Niles/Associated Press

Box:

(1) AL WEST STANDINGS

(2) AL WILD CARD RACE