ANGELS WAKE UP IN TIME MLB: L.A. SCORES WINNING RUN IN NINTH TO BEAT DETROIT. ANGELS 3, DETROIT 2.

Byline: Doug Padilla 

Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- No, those were not pajamas the Angels were wearing Tuesday, although the offense did appear to be sleepwalking again.

Unlike Monday, though, when the Angels waited 12innings before getting something started, their awakening came in the eighth inning Tuesday, just in time to catch up to the Detroit Tigers.

Two runs in the eighth tied it and Gary Matthews Jr. won it in the ninth with an RBI single into right-center. The 3-2 victory was the Angels' second walk-off win in consecutive days after getting the victory on a bases-loaded walk Monday.

Trailing 2-0 since the second inning, the Angels finally got going in the eighth against Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman.

And like all Angels rallies these days, this one started innocently enough with a Reggie Willits pinch-hit infield single. When Sean Rodriguez followed with a single of his own, the Angels were in the midst of one of their best scoring opportunities in days.

A Maicer Izturis sacrifice bunt put both runners into scoring position, but Matthews struck out for the second out against reliever Francisco Cruceta, and the opportunity appeared to be slipping away.

But the Angels caught a break when a wild pitch allowed Willits to score. After Vladimir Guerrero walked, Garret Anderson tied the game with a single to right field.

The only mistake of the night from Angels starter Ervin Santana came when Miguel Cabrera crushed a second-inning offering over the wall in left field for a two-run home run. Santana turned downright stingy after that, allowing just one more hit over the next seven innings.

It was another in a long line of solid performances from an Angels starter as Santana (7-2) tossed his second complete game of the season and the third of his career.

Over the past 10 games (before Tuesday), the Angels had eight quality starts and a 2.38 ERA. Over the past eight games, Angels starters had a 2.25 ERA, had pitched at least six innings in seven of the eight games and allowed three earned runs or less in seven of eight.

Over the past four games before Tuesday, the entire pitching staff had a 1.10 ERA.

"The rotation has been as billed," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We knew we would be strong, Some of the numbers are still skewed from early bullpen struggles, but I don't know if there's been a better staff in baseball over the last 15 games or so."

Only Joe Saunders has more victories on the Angels than Santana. The left-hander, who starts tonight against the Detroit Tigers, is 8-1 and already has matched his victory total from last season in just 10 starts.

"It's great to get that good momentum," Scioscia said. "You need to get that good start one after another. When you get it, great, but I think as soon as the game starts it's a new game plan for a new pitcher out there on that night. He needs to focus on that."

With another victory perhaps the offense can now focus as well. It would be sensible to say Bonderman was most responsible for keeping the Angels' bats at bay, but the Angels have been doing a lot of tipping their cap to opposing pitchers lately.

Hits have been harder to find than a gallon of gas under $4 as the Angels entered Tuesday with a .227 batting average this month after batting .279 in April.

Bonderman was perfect through the first four innings, as the Angels didn't get their first base runner until Anderson led off the fifth inning with a single.

Casey Kotchman also had a single in the fifth inning, but all momentum was lost when Jeff Mathis swung and missed on a hit and run, and Anderson was thrown out trying to steal third.

The Angels didn't get another hit until the seventh inning.

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ANGELS

TODAY vs. Detroit, 7 p.m., Angel Stadium.

TV: FSN West.

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Photo:

Angels starter Ervin Santana threw his second complete game of the season Tuesday.

Kevork Djansezian/The Associated Press