ANGELS RALLY TOO LATE? BEAT DETROIT IN 10 INNINGS ANGELS 7, DETROIT 2 (10).

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer

DETROIT -- Down to their last strike Saturday night, the Angels came back for an inspiring victory over the Detroit Tigers.

The only problem is that their 7-2 triumph in 10 innings might have come too late to prove valuable down the stretch. The Angels did finally cut a game off the Oakland Athletics' American League West lead for the first time in 11 days but still trail by 7 1/2 with just 26 games remaining.

``We have a challenge in front of us but if we can do a lot of the things we saw in the second half of that game tonight, we're going to put the wins up,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``There is no sense looking at the standings. We know what our challenge is.''

After a 15-minute rain delay at the outset, a pitchers' duel developed between rookies Justin Verlander and Joe Saunders. It was scoreless until the eighth when both teams broke through. The Angels took a 1-0 lead on Juan Rivera's RBI single off reliever Fernando Rodney.

The Tigers came back with a one-out single by Omar Infante off Saunders before he was replaced by Scot Shields. The right-hander's recent struggles continued as he gave up a two-out infield single and a wild pitch to move runners into scoring position.

After a walk to Craig Monroe loaded the bases, a soft single to center by Marcus Thames put the Tigers up 2-1 and sent closer Todd Jones to the mound to end it.

Jones had converted 19 consecutive save opportunities and No. 20 was just a pitch away. But Maicer Izturis hit a ball up the middle that Tigers shortstop Carlos Guillen fielded just behind the infield dirt in short center. His throw to first was wide for an error.

Orlando Cabrera was just as fortunate to get an infield single and keep the rally going. Vladimir Guerrero then looped a ball to right field just in front of Magglio Ordonez to allow Izturis to score and tie the game 2-2.

Shields allowed two more base runners on a double and intentional walk in the 10th before Francisco Rodriguez came on and put runners in scoring position with a wild pitch. But he struck out Infante with a five-man infield and got Brandon Inge on a fly ball to right to send the game into extra innings.

With Jones still on the mound, the Angels started their 10th-inning game-winning rally on another error at shortstop, this one by Neifi Perez. A sacrifice bunt by late-inning replacement Darin Erstad was followed by an intentional walk to Adam Kennedy and a single to shallow center by Jeff Mathis to load the bases.

Chone Figgins came to the plate hitless in his previous 18 at-bats and 0 for 5 in the game. He lifted a ball to deep left-center for a three-run triple, his first RBI of the trip. Orlando Cabrera added a two-run home run to cap the scoring.

``I understand that it hasn't gone my way this year on the luck side but we still have a chance to get in (to the playoffs) and I think it is important that we are this close,'' Figgins said. ``Personally you have to keep playing hard, keep swinging the bat and hopefully they'll fall in at the clutch times.''

The right-handed Verlander, the leader for AL Rookie of the Year, allowed four hits and struck out six in seven scoreless innings. The left- handed Saunders, who gave up eight runs in his last start against the New York Yankees, gave up one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings.

``You saw one outstanding right-hander and one outstanding left- hander,'' Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. ``I was very impressed with Saunders and I'm sure they were impressed with Verlander.''

Saunders admitted he was inspired by his matchup with another top rookie.

Saunders, from Virginia Tech, said he knew of his opponent because Verlander went to Old Dominion in northern Virginia.

``I never faced him in college but we faced them a few times,'' Saunders said. `` It was fun our first matchup. I wanted to go out there ans how some people I could pitch. Obviously he's having an awesome year so I wanted to go out there and throw well.''

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Shortstop Orlando Cabrera, left, hugs Chone Figgins after Figgins hit a 10th-inning, bases-loaded triple.

(2) The Angels' Joe Saunders allowed one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings against Detroit.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

(3) ESCOBAR

Box:

ANGELS at DETROIT

- Doug Padilla