CLASSIC WIN FOR ANGELS SALMON HOME RUN DECIDES IT IN 13TH ANGELS 7, TAMPA BAY 6.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Game pitching, clutch hitting, bang-bang plays at the plate, the chance for goats to become heroes, a walk-off ending.

The only thing wrong with the Angels' 7-6 win Saturday night over Tampa Bay on Tim Salmon's 13th-inning homer was that it wasn't played in October.

The game was so captivating that most of the crowd of 26,827 stayed until 11:15 p.m., when the 11th inning ended, and when's the last time that happened?

Probably the last time the Angels played into October.

Salmon, leading off the 13th inning, hit a 3-2 pitch from Jeff Sparks over the left-field fence that snapped a four-game losing streak to Tampa Bay and prevented the Angels from having to wonder about one that got away.

They had Mo Vaughn to thank for sending the game into extra innings, but not with his bat - with his glove. Vaughn dropped pinch hitter Steve Cox's routine grounder with two out in the eighth, allowing pinch runner Tony Graffanino to score from third and even the score at 5-5.

The Angels, instead of bringing on Troy Percival to close out the game in the ninth, left Shigetoshi Hasegawa in the game. Greg Vaughn, after striking out three times to assume the major-league lead, blasted a one-out homer - the 300th of his career - to center field to put Tampa Bay ahead 6-5.

Pinch hitter Scott Spiezio began the Angels ninth with a single to left off Tampa Bay closer Roberto Hernandez. Gary DiSarcina sacrificed Spiezio to second and after Darin Erstad flied out, Adam Kennedy lined a two-strike single to right that scored Spiezio just ahead of Dave Martinez's strong throw.

It was Kennedy's second RBI and third hit of the night, all of which came with two strikes. Orlando Palmeiro also drove in a run with a two-strike single.

Kennedy took second on Martinez's throw home, bringing up Mo Vaughn with a chance to redeem himself. Vaughn did so, lining a single to right. Kennedy, being waved home by third base coach Ron Roenicke, charged around third. But Martinez made another strong throw and catcher John Flaherty's lunging tag just nipped Kennedy.

The Angels ran the bases aggressively all night and it was the first time it didn't pay off.

Taking full advantage of Tampa Bay starter Dave Eiland's high leg kick, they stole three bases. Garret Anderson got such a good jump in the fourth inning that he stole second despite a pitch-out. It was a critical play since it allowed him to come home on Palmeiro's two-out, two-strike single.

Anderson, like Palmeiro and Kennedy, delivered big two-strike hits. He went with a 2-2 fastball away and hit it off the top of the left-center field fence in the second inning for his fourth homer of the season and his third in four games. It gave the Angels a 1-0 lead.

After Jose Canseco's two-run homer off Ken Hill put Tampa Bay ahead 3-2 in the fifth, the Angels responded by chasing Eiland, who had thrown six innings of three-hit ball in a 1-0 win over the Angels a week ago today.

DiSarcina's line-drive homer 338-feet down the left-field line tied the score. Darin Erstad followed with a single, his major-league leading 46th hit, and stole second.