ANGELS FINALLY GET BREAKS END SIX-GAME LOSING STREAK BY BEATING RANGERS ANGELS 7, TEXAS 6.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas --- Somebody was living right for the Angels on Tuesday. A pitcher must have helped an elderly lady to cross the street or a hitter might have flipped a coin into a fountain.

Whatever it was, the Angels' fortunes changed as their six-game losing streak came to an end with a 7-6 victory over the Texas Rangers. Giving Kendry Morales his first opportunity in the major leagues certainly helped as he delivered three hits, including a home run, in his Angels debut.

The Angels still tried to give this one away, but there were breaks to be had where once there was just bad luck. They created their own good fortune, for sure, but with some timely gifts sprinkled in, it was a rare night when a lot of positives happened.

``They did (show up) a little bit, which was nice,'' Adam Kennedy said of the breaks after a game in which he delivered a career-high four hits. ``We sort of created our own (breaks). We ran the bases aggressively; (Mike Napoli) ran from first to third a couple of times. You get guys numerous times at third base with less than two outs and it makes it easier.''

Chone Figgins was in the midst of an off night on both offense and defense, but he received a key walk in the eighth inning and was the benefactor of the greatest gift of all. With the game tied 6-6 and Figgins at first, Vladimir Guerrero appeared to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock fielded the Guerrero grounder and threw to second baseman Mark DeRosa for the force out at second. But DeRosa was well off the bag and second-base umpire Tim Tschida refused to give DeRosa the call for being in the area.

Adam Kennedy scored the winning run on the play. It came one batter after Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly tied it.

Kennedy also made his own good luck in the sixth inning. With Napoli on third and Kennedy at first with one out, Cabrera grounded a ball to shortstop that looked to be an inning-ending double play. But Kennedy was running on the play and his hustle prevented a play at second and allowed Napoli to score.

Even when they didn't score, the Angels received some breaks. Dallas McPherson appeared to hit a ground ball to first, but the ball kicked off the infield dirt and into right field for a double.

Later in the ninth, after Tommy Murphy replaced Figgins in center, there was just enough room to allow Murphy's jumping catch at the top of the wall on a drive by Mark Teixeira that might have been long enough to leave the park.

Not even a rare rough fielding stretch by Kennedy could spoil the Angels' fortunes. Kennedy was unable to start two double plays in the third inning and then couldn't find the ball in his glove on a potential inning- ending ground ball. The extra opportunities led to three unearned runs for the Rangers and the extra time on the mound led to a long inning for starter John Lackey that ultimately shortened his outing to six innings.

``You can't really blame the guy; errors happen,'' Lackey said. ``It's kind of the way it's been going, but Adam came back with the bat and he really helped us out and we ended up winning.''

Victories have been so hard to come by of late that manager Mike Scioscia refused to credit the breaks. He wanted the team's solid play to be the highlight.

``I don't think we won this game on breaks, and I don't think we go about our business to try and win the game on breaks,'' Scioscia said. ``There are going to be things on both sides that will go against you and there were tonight. Breaks did not play a big part.''

Morales, however, caught a break when his first home run in his second major-league at-bat was initially first ruled a double off the right-field wall. First-base umpire Rick Reed met with the other umpires and changed his call.

Morales also made a key play on defense at first base after Scot Shields walked the Rangers' leadoff batter in the eighth. Rod Barajas laid down a sacrifice bunt but Morales had the presence of mind to throw out the lead runner.

``Nowhere did it go through my mind that I would get three hits tonight,'' Morales said. ``It's something I will never forget. The home run was unbelievable. I have no words to describe it.

``I think everything came out right during (the defensive) play. I knew how important that run would have been for Texas.''

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Angels starting pitcher John Lackey allowed four runs in six innings Tuesday against the Rangers.

Linda Kaye/Associated Press

(2) The Angels' Kendry Morales watches his two-run homer off Texas Rangers pitcher Vicente Padille.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Box:

ANGELS at TEXAS

- Doug Padilla