ANGELS PUT IT TOGETHER SHORT-HANDED SQUAD PUTS AWAY SEATTLE ANGELS 5, SEATTLE 2.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- The fight, the flight or the bite of an exhausting 10-game road trip all could have taken their toll on the Angels.

Kelvim Escobar refused to let that happen Thursday, putting the team on his back for a 5-2 victory that let the Angels gain ground in the standings for a change.

With the Oakland Athletics idle, the Angels gained a half game and now trail the division leaders by six games.

``We had that big issue (Wednesday) in that game and we had to move on because if we want to make it to the playoffs, we have to stay close to Oakland,'' Escobar said.

Playing with a 23-man roster because of suspensions to Kevin Gregg and Adam Kennedy, Escobar pitched seveninnings and Vladimir Guerrero put the game away with a late three-run double.

A sacrifice fly by Orlando Cabrera in the third inning and another by Howie Kendrick in the fourth started them toward the victory against crafty veteran Jamie Moyer.

It had been a rough 24 hours with a defeat to the Rangers, the fight and a late-night flight home.

Ron Roenicke finally got a chance to settle in as a big-league manager and won his first game in the process, although Bud Black handled the pitching side of things.

Roenicke was taking the place of Mike Scioscia, who started serving his own three-game suspension stemming from Wednesday's incident.

``A lot of positive things, I think, happened out of a bad situation (Wednesday),'' Roenicke said. ``If you saw them before the game everybody was up and feeling good. I didn't see anybody moping. It was a good atmosphere before the game.''

Roenicke got his first taste of major-league managing Wednesday but for just one batter (four pitches). He took over when Scioscia was ejected after Gregg hit Michael Young with a pitch. Brendan Donnelly hit the next batter, Freddy Guzman, leading to his own ejection as well as Roenicke's.

For a brief stint in the director's chair, Roenicke was given a one-game suspension which he will serve Sunday when Scioscia returns.

He ran into no issues Thursday, using a lineup that Scioscia filled out before retreating to his office to watch the game on television.

Escobar (9-10) gave up one run on seven hits in seven innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.

``Kelvim might have been as locked in as we've seen him this year,'' Scioscia said while sitting in the same chair in which he watched the game.

``His first-pitch strikes were off the chart. You see what he can do when he gets some runs to work with.''

Things started to get interesting in the seventh inning when the Mariners closed to within a run at 2-1. Kenji Johjima, who led off with a double, scored when Willie Bloomquist hit into a double play.

The Angels were able to get a little more breathing room in the seventh with a two-out rally. Chone Figgins doubled off the wall in left, Maicer Izturis was hit by a pitch and Cabrera walked to load the bases. Guerrero then delivered his bases-clearing double to the gap in right center.

With the four-run lead, Scot Shields came on in relief of Escobar. Cabrera showed how good he was feeling in the inning, barehanding a chopper by Adrian Beltre and throwing to first for the second out.

Cabrera wasn't the only one to show off his glove. A half-inning after legging out a triple in the fourth, Garret Anderson raced into the gap in left-center to take away an extra-base hit from Yuniesky Betancourt.

``I think he plays a lot harder for this manager than the other guy,'' Roenicke joked. ``He was huge. When Garret runs, he can still really move. He has trouble accelerating but once he's running he can go. You saw that in the outfield.''

Shields allowed a leadoff double to Richie Sexson in the ninth and a one-out RBI double to Johjima before Roenicke went to the mound to call on Francisco Rodriguez.

The right-hander gave up an infield single to Betancourt and a wild pitch to put runners on second and third, but struck out pinch hitter Chris Snelling and got Ichiro Suzuki on a comebacker for his 32nd save.

Kendrick, who had a hit in all but one game on the road trip, went 0for3 with the sacrifice fly. It was just the second time in the past 26games the rookie did not have a hit. He is batting .370 over that span.

Roenicke still has two more games as manager and two more victories might allow Scioscia more time behind the scenes.

``Hey, if it takes me sitting here watching all year, I'll do it,'' Scioscia said with a smile.

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CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Angels' Kelvim Escobar gave up one run in seven innings Thursday, striking out seven Mariners.

(2) Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre dives to knock down an infield single by the Angels' Robb Quinlan.

(3) The Angels' Vladimir Guerrero breaks open the game with a three-run double off the Mariners' Mark Lowe in the seventh inning Thursday.

Francis Specker/Associated Press

(4) WEAVER

Box:

ANGELS vs. SEATTLE

- Doug Padilla