ANGELS BURNED BY SPARKS KNUCKLEBALLER HELPS TIGERS END LOSING STREAK AT FIVE DETROIT 5, ANGELS 1.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers canceled their team photo Wednesday afternoon, then held a team meeting in an effort to clear the air about some internal bickering among the players.

Having lost five in a row and 11 of 13, the Tigers needed something, anything, to snap out of the doldrums. But probably more than anything, it was starting pitcher Steve Sparks who made the difference in the Tigers' 5-1 victory over the Angels before 20,853 at Comerica Park.

Sparks baffled the Angels hitters, mixing in his knuckleball with other pitches in 7 2/3 innings. But it wasn't until Sparks was out of the game that the Tigers broke a 1-1 tie.

Angels starter Ismael Valdes was out of the game after seven shaky but effective innings when the Tigers scored four runs off relievers Mike Holtz (0-1) and Al Levine in the eighth inning.

Matt Perisho (2-2), like Sparks a former Angel, pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to get the victory.

Sparks gave up a solo homer to Scott Spiezio in the fourth inning but nothing else. He struck out seven, including Troy Glaus twice.

``Some (knuckleballers) just throw it up there,'' Angels center fielder Darin Erstad said. ``He changes speeds, throws a cutter, a curveball, and he will quick-pitch you. He pitches. You take what you can get and we didn't get much.''

The fact the Angels were in the game at all in the eighth inning was a result of the defense behind Valdes. Valdes was far from his best, giving up 11 hits in his seven innings. But he allowed only one run because the defense made so many key plays behind him.

Spiezio made two good plays at first base. In the first inning he short- hopped Robert Fick's grounder and started a double play. In the fifth he made a diving catch of a liner hit by Juan Encarnacion.

Erstad made a running catch at the warning track in straight-away center field on Encarnacion's long drive in the third.

Left fielder Garret Anderson robbed Shane Halter of a home run by making a leaping catch at the wall in the seventh.

Also in the seventh, Tim Salmon fielded Fick's double in the right-field corner and began a 9-3-2-5 relay, ending with catcher Bengie Molina throwing out Roger Cedeno, who had rounded third too far.

``We made a lot of critical defensive plays,'' Erstad said. ``They were all situations where you have to make the play to win a close ballgame, and we did. But the bats weren't there at the right time.''

Valdes lowered his ERA to 3.48 but said all the credit belonged to the defense.

``That was awesome,'' Valdes said. ``That was the difference in keeping the ballgame from being a blowout. These guys have played solid defense every time I pitch.''

But there was no defense for Bobby Higginson's leadoff triple off Mike Holtz in the eighth. Holtz hung a curveball and Higginson hit it into the right-field corner for his fourth hit of the game. In the two games of the series so far, Higginson is 6 for 6 with two walks.

``I don't feel a crisp break on my breaking ball right now,'' said Holtz, who has been bothered by a sore back. ``I don't know if it's mechanical or what.''

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Angels catcher Bengie Molina tags out the Tigers' Bobby Higginson in the fourth inning.

Associated Press