ANGELS SLAM REDS FOR THIRD TIME, ECKSTEIN SIMPLY GRAND ANGELS 7, CINCINNATI 4.

Byline: David Felton Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Just walk him.

That should be the scouting report throughout baseball when facing the Angels' David Eckstein with the bases loaded. Put him on base, concede the run and take your chances with the next guy. Eckstein is just too dangerous.

The Angels' diminutive shortstop hit his third grand slam of the season and fourth home run overall Sunday as the Angels defeated Cincinnati 7-4 in front of 35,501 at Edison Field, taking two of three games in their first interleague series of the season.

``I definitely wasn't thinking about (a grand slam),'' said the 5-foot-8, 170-pound Eckstein, who hit slams in back-to-back games April 27-28 against Toronto, the second of which came with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning to win the game. ``Hopefully, I can do it again, but it's highly unlikely.''

The slam put the Angels ahead 5-0 and, after Cincinnati scored three times in the ninth, turned out to be the game-winning hit.

``I don't know if one time is better than another for a home run,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, ``... but (Eckstein) has hit them at three times which have been incredible and have won three games for us.''

Eckstein's grand slam came off Cincinnati starter Joey Hamilton with two outs in the second inning. Eckstein leads the majors in grand slams and became just the second Angel to hit three in a season. Joe Rudi hit three slams in 1978 and 1979.

``(Eckstein) has got a real compact strike zone and a real compact swing,'' Scioscia said. ``A home run is the furthest thing from his mind.''

All three of Eckstein's slams have been to the same area, pulled between the bullpen gate and foul pole and just over the 330-foot fence in left field.

Eckstein had given the Angels their first run after tripling to right field in the first inning and scoring on a groundball by Darin Erstad.

In the second, Orlando Palmeiro reached on a fielder's choice, Bengie Molina singled and Adam Kennedy walked to load the bases for Eckstein. Hamilton worked the count to 1-2 but left a slider over the plate.

``The two previous pitches were on my hands,'' said Eckstein, who had his bat broken the pitch before. ``Fortunately, I was able to put the power part of the bat on the ball.''

The Angels added two more runs in the fourth when Palmeiro (walk) and Molina (single) scored on a triple by Kennedy that rolled to the wall in left-center field.

That was plenty of offensive support for Angels starter Scott Schoeneweis. The left-hander allowed one run and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out four. Schoeneweis (5-4, 4.50 ERA) stranded runners at third base in the first and third innings and allowed a run in the fourth before settling down.

``He scuffled a little bit early, ... but I think he did a terrific job,'' Scioscia said. ``The last 10 batters were some of the best baseball he's pitched.''

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Angels shortstop David Eckstein hits his third grand slam of the season to defeat the Reds.

Ric Francis/Associated Press