ANGELS FIT TO BE TIED IN WEST A'S DRAW EVEN IN PLAYOFF RACE OAKLAND 2, ANGELS 1.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Fresh off their three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners, the Angels had little time to get ready for the Oakland A's, who reminded the Angels there is more than one team to beat in the American League West.

In one of the best-played games by both teams all season, the A's held off the Angels for a 2-1 victory before 25,370 at Edison Field. The result created a three-way tie for the top spot in the wild-card race among the Angels, A's and Boston Red Sox. The Angels and A's trail the Mariners, who won Tuesday, by two games in the West.

``They're right there,'' Angels shortstop David Eckstein said of the A's, who have beaten the Angels seven times in 10 games this season. ``To get where we want to be, we've got to beat Oakland, also.''

A's starter Barry Zito improved to 14-3, getting outstanding defense behind him and just enough offense. The A's had only four hits off Angels starter Kevin Appier (eight innings) and reliever Brendan Donnelly (one inning), but one of those hits was shortstop Miguel Tejada's two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Tejada also saved two runs with a diving, backhanded catch of Darin Erstad's line drive with two out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

But it was an error by Tejada in the ninth inning that nearly cost the A's. Pinch hitter Adam Kennedy, from Cal State Northridge, led off with a high popup to shallow left field off A's closer Billy Koch that popped out of Tejada's glove. Kennedy, though, was slow out of the batter's box and only got as far as first base.

``I just didn't break out of the box good, that's all,'' Kennedy explained.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia wouldn't criticize Kennedy for not reaching second base, but the A's were happy to see Kennedy only get as far as first.

``I'm just glad he was dogging it,'' Koch said. ``He should have been at third as high as that one was. It saved the game for us.''

David Eckstein sacrificed Kennedy to second before Erstad lined out to left for the second out. Koch got Tim Salmon on a grounder to first to end it for his 25th save.

Zito went 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run and five hits. Only last Thursday, Zito shut out the Angels over 7 1/3 innings in a 2-0 A's victory, and Tuesday the former Pierce College and USC star picked up where he left off. The Angels didn't have a hit until Shawn Wooten's leadoff single in the fifth inning.

Zito took a 2-0 lead into the seventh when he gave up a leadoff single to Jose Molina. One out later, A's manager Art Howe removed Zito, who had made 112 pitches. Reliever Chad Bradford got Eckstein to hit into a force play for the second out, but Erstad finally found a hole when he grounded a triple inside first and along the right-field line to score Eckstein and make it 2-1.

With the potential tying run on third, Salmon struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner to end the inning.

The Angels had another chance to tie the game in the eighth when singles by Troy Glaus and Wooten gave the Angels runners on first and second with one out. A's reliever Jim Mecir ran the count full to Spiezio, then struck him out looking at a 75-mph curveball for the second out.

Pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro followed with a hard grounder up the middle, but second baseman Mark Ellis backhanded the ball and flipped to second for the force out to end the threat. It was Ellis' second outstanding play in the inning, as he made a diving stop to rob Garret Anderson of a hit leading off the inning.

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Oakland's Miguel Tejada hits a two-run homer off the Angels' Kevin Appier in the sixth inning Tuesday night in Anaheim.

John Hayes/Associated Press