ANGELS KID AROUND WEAVER, KENDRICK KEY IN WIN VS. A'S ANGELS 4, OAKLAND 3.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA

Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - The Angels might lean on their veterans down the stretch and on into October, but some kids are going to have to carry their share of the load.

Jered Weaver and Howie Kendrick did their part against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday before one of the mainstays came on to make a difference.

Garret Anderson hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to put the Angels on top for the first time in a 4-3 victory over the A's. The home run gave Anderson RBIs in nine consecutive games, one off the franchise record set by Wally Joyner and Fred Lynn.

Anderson has been huge as the Angels have started to distance themselves from the Seattle Mariners in the American League West. The victory opened a 71/2 game lead on the Mariners and reduced the Angels' magic number for clinching the division to 18 games.

Anderson now has 26 RBI in his last 14 games and 52 RBI in 49 games since the All-Star break. He also has 14 home runs with eight of those coming in the last two weeks and change.

But Anderson wouldn't have had his chance to shine had Weaver and Kendrick not created his prime opportunity. When the lights shine brighter as the season becomes more interesting, the kids are going to have to set the table eventually.

Weaver showed off his maturity by handling some early-inning hazardous duty and avoiding a costly blowup. The right-hander gave up a home run to Shannon Stewart to lead off the game and then almost let things get out of hand.

The A's continued to come after Weaver in the first inning, putting runners on second and third with one out after a Mike Piazza double. But Weaver got Dan Johnson to pop out to shortstop, he walked Mark Ellis to load the bases and got out of the entire mess by striking out Jack Hannahan looking.

The second inning also started out troubling. Marco Scutaro and Rob Bowen singled to open the inning and ended up on second and third when Vladimir Guerrero's throw to third on Bowen's single was too late to get Scutaro.

Stewart grounded out to get the second A's run home and Weaver avoided further trouble with a ground out and a fly ball.

After that, Weaver flashed some of the brilliance he showed most of last season and in his last two starts before Tuesday when he gave up a combined one run over 14 innings.

Two third-inning singles ended up harmless after Hannahan grounded into a double play.

Stewart, who caused so much trouble early, grounded into a double play in the fourth inning.

Weaver looked especially brilliant to end the top of the fifth inning when he struck out Piazza flinching on a 77 mph breaking ball.

Even an Orlando Cabrera throwing error in the sixth inning (caused when Robb Quinlan crowded him from third base on a ground ball), a wild pitch and a two-out walk were neutralized when Bowen lined out to center to end the threat.

Weaver gave up his two runs on seven hits in six innings with three walks and five strikeouts.

Kendrick, who was batting in the No. 2 spot for the first time this season, nullified the A's two early runs with a line-drive home run in the third inning. The home run, which also scored Jeff Mathis, was Kendrick's first since June 29.

The second baseman hardly has let a fractured index finger slow him down. He was out from July 9 until Aug. 20 with the injury, but returned right where he left off. He has hit safely in 32 of his last 40 games, a run that started well before he was injured.

With his home run, Kendrick had fashioned a streak where he had 12 hits in 23 at-bats.

He has scored 37 runs in his last 41 games.

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Angels (Saunders 7-2) vs. Oakland (Blanton 11-9), 12:35p.m., Angel Stadium.

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Garret Anderson's sixth-inning, two-run home run put the Angels ahead for good Tuesday.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press