ANGELS SCORE ANOTHER WIN OFFENSE CHURNS OUT 14 RUNS, SEVEN COMING IN SIXTH INNING ANGELS 14, SEATTLE 6.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

SEATTLE -- The all-or-nothing Angels are at it again, piling up runs in bunches as they continue to hunt for consistency.

The Fourth of July supplied the perfect background for the Angels to barbecue an opponent as a 14-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners was fueled by a seven-run sixthinning.

A team that has dealt with an underachieving offense most of the season has gone through these run-scoring outbursts before, so time will tell if this kind of production is here to stay.

In mid-April, the Angels scored 29 runs in a four-game stretch at Baltimore and Minnesota and followed that by winning five of their next seven games before a six-game losing streak. In May, they scored 12 runs in back-to-back games and proceeded to lose eight of their next nine.

On a six-game road trip in June through Cleveland and Tampa Bay, the Angels scored in double digits three times in a five-game stretch. On the next homestand, they lost six of 10.

So here come the runs again, with 34 Angels crossing the plate in the past fourgames, all of which were victories.

Yet a close examination of the numbers shows that maybe this offensive rebound already has settled in.

Over the past 12 games, the Angels have scored 73 runs, an average of 6.1 per game. They have won eight of those 12 games and have managed to shave two games off the Oakland Athletics' American League West lead, although the Angels remain rooted in last place at five back.

``I think there are some explanations why it hasn't been consistent and at times it has been a little frustrating,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``We're not going to look back. We have to look forward and we have some nice grouping throughout our lineup where we have some situational guys and guys swinging the bats well at the middle and the bottom of the order.''

Five Angels had at least two hits, with Maicer Izturis (batting second) and Juan Rivera (batting sixth) supplying three each. Two of Rivera's were home runs that led to a five-RBI day, and Kendry Morales drove in three runs.

``We're seeing it establish itself and that way there's not going to be pressure to have a couple of guys trying to pull this whole wagon,'' Scioscia said. ``If you establish that depth and keep it going, then it's going to give you a consistence offense, something we've been lacking.''

The Angels pounded out 15 hits, which helped them to escape an early deficit. Angels starter Ervin Santana was perfect through threeinnings and took a 1-0 lead into the Mariners' half of the fourth before trouble started.

After Jose Lopez's RBI single tied the score at 1-1, Raul Ibanez delivered a three-run home run and Richie Sexson hit one out on the next pitch.

As quickly as it left him, Santana pulled it back together. He faced the minimum 12 batters immediately after Sexson's home run, allowing only a single over that span but erasing it on a double play.

``I'm happy because we did a job and scored some runs and we needed to score runs against those guys because they play good against us,'' Santana said. ``I have to give the credit to (catcher Jose) Molina because we were on the same page.''

After Rivera's first home run of the day cut the Mariners' lead to 5-2, the Angels started their seven- run sixth with a walk to Chone Figgins. The first five batters in the inning reached base and even the first two outs were productive as they came on flyballs that scored runs.

The Angels sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning with Izturis collecting two hits.

``We've always seen the potential with (Izturis') bat to get on base and work counts,'' Scioscia said. ``He did a good job of that today and got some big hits. Hopefully he can also keep bringing that consistent presence at third base.''

The three hits tied a career high for Izturis, while the 14 runs were the most the Angels have scored against Seattle since a 15-3 victory at Safeco Field on July 19, 2002.

For Rivera, it was his fourth career multi-homer game and first since Aug. 18 last season against the Boston Red Sox. His five RBIs were a season high.

Rivera, who usually shuns doing interviews in English, gave it a try after the game. And why not, since Mariners pitchers didn't seem to supply an adequate enough challenge.

``We're playing better now and we're scoring more runs,'' Rivera said. ``We're playing hard.''

He couldn't have said it any better.

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Photo:

The Angels' Juan Rivera slides in for a run off Kendry Morales' double in the seventh. Vladimir Guerrero, background, also scored on the hit.

John Froschauer/Associated Press

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ANGELS at SEATTLE

- Doug Padilla