ANGELS RESCUE WEAVER RALLY TO TIE SCORE, KEEP HIM FROM LOSS ANGELS VS. TEXAS, LATE.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- The Angels simply refuse to let Jered Weaver lose a game, rallying for four runs Thursday in the eighth inning to get their rookie off the hook.

Vladimir Guerrero delivered an RBI double for the Angels' first run in the eighth, and two batters later Juan Rivera hit a towering three-run home run into the Texas Rangers bullpen to tie the score. The two teams were tied 6-6 after nine innings at Angel Stadium.

Rivera, who has 12 home runs in his last 26 games, hit a first-pitch fastball from reliever Rick Bauer, who had just entered the game.

Weaver was not horrible, as he gave up three runs in six innings, but he got no help from a bullpen that gave up three runs in the seventh inning as the Rangers took a seemingly comfortable 6-2 lead.

While Rivera's home run prevented Weaver from losing the game, it also spoiled what had been a solid outing from Rangers starter Kevin Millwood.

Two of the Angels' eighth-inning runs belonged to Millwood.

Weaver gave up his three runs on eight hits in six innings, getting burned in the sixth on back-to-back triples from Hank Blalock and Mark DeRosa. The first one wasn't entirely Weaver's fault, as Garret Anderson played Blalock's soft liner down the left-field line into the three-base hit.

But DeRosa's RBI triple to the gap in right-center was well struck, as was the line-drive RBI single from Ian Kinsler that followed.

Weaver gave up the most hits he has allowed in any start, with the previous high of seven coming in his last outing on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. After winning his first seven starts, Weaver has gone winless in his last two.

Millwood, who won the American League ERA title last season with the Cleveland Indians, had lost his last two starts and had not seen his ERA under 4.00 since he gave up nine runs in an early May outing against the Minnesota Twins.

Through the first seven innings, the Angels' offense was sputtering along just as it had been since the team returned from Boston on an overnight flight Sunday. After scoring just six runs in the entire three-game series against the Oakland Athletics earlier this week, they appeared to be on that same pace.

After Brad Wilkerson gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a fly ball to score DeRosa, Guerrero tied it up in spectacular fashion in the fourth inning with his team-high 22nd home run that rattled off the faux rocks in left-center field. The ball appeared to easily travel 420 feet.

After the Rangers scored their two runs in the sixth, the Angels nearly answered with two of their own on a full-count single to center from Anderson. Maicer Izturis scored from third but Orlando Cabrera was thrown out by Rangers center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. while racing in from second base.

In his last two starts, Weaver has not been up to his lofty standards, not that anybody expected to keep up the dominating pace he was on to start his career. Weaver had a 1.15 ERA in 47 innings heading into Fenway Park last weekend.

Thursday's start was just the third at home for Weaver and first since June 13.

When he gave up the second-inning run on Wilkerson's fly ball it, was the first run he had given up at home this season. It snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak at home.

It was also the second consecutive start Weaver had given up three runs after not allowing more than two in his seven victories.

``Jered's been, I don't want to say a surprise because I think where the surprise was how far he came from last year when we saw him in spring training,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``As the spring moved on and he pitched at Triple-A, we knew he had the ability to do some of the things we're seeing. To what extent and what level, you never know, but he has certainly given us a big boost in what is right now a little different rotation than we opened up with.''

[e-mail]

[phone], Ext. 2731

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) The Angels' Juan Rivera, right, is congratulated by Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the score.

(2) Texas' Gary Mathews Jr. slides into second base after being forced out, as second baseman Adam Kennedy throws to first.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Box:

ANGELS vs. TEXAS

- Doug Padilla