ANGELS ROLL A SEVEN TEAM RALLIES IN 8TH TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - It's like the Angels have been laying back, waiting for the finish line to become visible, and then turn on their finishing kick.

For the third night in a row, the Angels came from behind in the late innings, this time beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-5 in front of 42,421 at Angel Stadium. Coupled with Oakland's loss to Texas, the Angels increased their lead in the American League West to four games with nine remaining.

The victory was the Angels' seventh in a row, one short of their longest winning streak of the season. Their magic number to clinch the division (any combination of Angels victories and A's losses) was reduced to six.

``I sense momentum, I sense chemistry, I sense things coming together in all phases of the game for us,'' Angels starting pitcher Paul Byrd said. ``It's really good timing going into the final (nine) games. It's exciting the way the team's playing and picking each other up.''

Down 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Angels rallied for two runs to tie the game. In the eighth, a one-out walk by Juan Rivera and a double by Bengie Molina set the stage for pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman.

On an 0-1 pitch from Devil Rays reliever Joe Borowski, Kotchman fisted a grounder through the drawn-in infield and into right field for a two-run single.

``Casey doesn't panic at the plate,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He's good at putting the ball in play, and waiting for a good pitch to put a swing on, and he got it.

``He's really advanced as far as what his experience might make you think. He studies the game, he studies the pitchers and he has a good idea what to do in certain situations.''

Francisco Rodriguez closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 41st save.

Rodriguez was the Angels' fifth reliever of the night after an usually poor outing by Byrd. The bullpen combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings, Scot Shields (9-11) pitching a perfect eighth inning to get the victory. Kevin Gregg was the first reliever in the game for the Angels, and he retired all seven batters he faced.

``My teammates really picked me up tonight,'' Byrd said. ``Not only the offense jelling late, but the guys in the 'pen did a great job.''

Byrd has been about as consistent as they come, having gone at least six innings in 27 of his 29 starts before Friday. But the Devil Rays, who beat up on Byrd for six runs the last time he faced them last month, continued their assault on him Friday.

Byrd lasted a season-low 4 1/3 innings and gave up five runs and 10 hits as the Devil Rays had runners in scoring position in every inning he was in the game.

``It's the way it goes sometimes,'' Byrd said. ``You wrack your brain sometimes, but it just didn't happen for me on the mound.''

Aubrey Huff's solo homer in the fifth game the Devil Rays a 5-3 lead, but the Angels rallied to tie it in the seventh. Devil Rays starter Casey Fossum retired eight batters in a row before Darin Erstad broke the string with a one-out home run in the seventh, cutting the Angels' deficit to 5-4.

Jose Molina followed with a hard-hit grounder to third that Alex Gonzalez couldn't handle, Molina reaching on the error. Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella replaced Fossum with Trever Miller, who retired Kennedy for the second out of the inning.

With Chone Figgins batting, pinch-runner Zach Sorensen broke for second as Figgins sliced a single into right field. Third-base coach Ron Roenicke held Sorensen at third, but when first baseman Travis Lee knocked the ball away trying to short-hop Jonny Gomes' throw from right, Sorensen trotted home to tie the game at 5.

``Our situational hitting was key again tonight,'' Scioscia said. ``Even though we haven't been driving the ball, we're moving runners along.''

It was evident from the start Byrd was off his game. He gave up a single to Julio Lugo leading off the first inning, and Lugo scored later in the inning on a two-out single by Aubrey Huff.

The Angels took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, an inning sparked by Orlando Cabrera's RBI triple. Byrd, though, was unable to hold the lead in the second. Lee led off with a double and scored one out later on Toby Hall's single, tying the game at 2.

The Devil Rays went up 4-2 with two runs in the third inning, one scoring on Jorge Cantu's RBI double, and the other coming home on Jonny Gomes' sacrifice fly.

Joe Haakenson, [phone]

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Angels' Curtis Pride and Juan Rivera are congratulated by teammates after scoring in the eighth inning against Tampa Bay on Friday night.

(2) Angels starter Paul Byrd pitched a season-low 4 1/3 innings Friday night.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Box:

(1) ANGELS vs. TAMPA BAY

- Joe Haakenson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC

(5) NL WILD CARD

(6) PLAYOFF CHASE