ANGELS FINALLY SEIZE MOMENT AGAINST A'S ANGELS 6, OAKLAND 5.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - For the Angels, Wednesday night's game against the Oakland A's was all about opportunity.

An opportunity to move closer to first place in the American League West.

An opportunity to increase their lead in the wild-card race.

An opportunity to become the fifth team in Angels history to win 90 games in a season.

After a superb performance by the bullpen and a clutch hit by Shawn Wooten, the Angels rallied for a 6-5 victory in front of a spirited and patriotic crowd of 34,302 at Edison Field.

The victory moved the Angels to within one game of the A's in the West, with an opportunity to tie them for first with a victory tonight. They also increased their lead in the AL wild-card race to six games over Seattle with 17 to play.

For the A's, it was the first time they have lost back-to-back games since Aug. 11-12. They had won 22 of 23 heading into the series with the Angels but have lost two of the first three games with one to play.

The Angels rallied from deficits of 4-0 and 5-4, eventually holding off the A's because of their bullpen. After giving up an RBI single to Miguel Tejada with one out in the fifth, Angels starter John Lackey was removed from the game.

Scot Shields (4-3) replaced Lackey and threw 2 2/3 hitless innings, allowing only one baserunner when he hit Ramon Hernandez with a pitch. Hernandez was erased on a double-play ball.

Ben Weber pitched a perfect eighth inning and Troy Percival a perfect ninth for his 37th save. The three relievers combined for 4 2/3 hitless innings.

``I'm proud to be in the bullpen with these guys,'' said Percival, who struck out Terrence Long to end it.

Wooten led the Angels' 14-hit attack with three doubles. The first two came against A's starter Cory Lidle, a friend and teammate of Wooten's from their high school days.

``We had lunch (Wednesday), but I didn't know I'd be in there,'' Wooten said. ``It was fun. I've known him for a long time, and I knew it would be a good battle.''

Wooten's big hit came against A's reliever Jeff Tam in the seventh after the Angels already had stranded a runner at third base with less than two outs in three separate innings.

The Angels also had stranded five baserunners in scoring position and were one out away from adding another when Wooten drilled the first pitch he saw from Tam down the left-field line. Adam Kennedy scored easily from second and Scott Spiezio raced around from first to give the Angels their first lead of the night.

``Different guys step up every day,'' Wooten said. ``(Tuesday) it was Spiezio. (Wednesday) it was me. (Today) it will be somebody else.''

Wooten's hit also kept the Angels from looking back at those missed chances.

``We really weren't as effective offensively as we could have been, and we still got the win,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``That's a plus. You want to put pressure on a club in every inning and hopefully you break through. We did that.''

Lackey had won his previous three starts, but it was evident right from the start he wasn't at his best Wednesday. He lasted only 4 1/3 innings, only the third time in 15 starts with the Angels this season he has failed to go six innings.

He gave up five runs, the first time since joining the rotation he has allowed more than four earned runs in a game.

The A's took a 4-0 lead in the third inning with four runs, the last two coming on Jermaine Dye's two-run homer.

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