ESCOBAR TAMES TIGERS ANGELS TAKE 2 OF 3 IN DETROIT ANGELS 2, DETROIT 1.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

DETROIT -- The team with the best record in the American League was no problem for the Angels.

They had a chance to show it to everybody Sunday, as Kelvin Escobar dominated Detroit in a 2-1 victory in front of a national television audience, and the Angels won the season series against the Tigers.

The Angels won two of three in the weekend series and five of eight against the Tigers this season. Against the New York Yankees, one of the favorites to win the World Series, the Angels are 6-4.

In a topsy-turvy season, the Angels have stolen from the rich and given to the poor. Against the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, teams with no shot at the playoffs, the Angels are a combined 5-9. Both come to town this week to give the Angels one last chance at revenge.

``Since July 1, we've played great baseball, so I don't know that I would narrow it down between this team and that team,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``When we're in our game, we're going to be able to play with the good teams. Tonight we pitched extremely well, and that's what we need to do.''

There have been other problems this season. The homestand that begins today will close with three games against the champion Chicago White Sox, who have won four of the six games between the teams.

Against the National League, the Angels went just 7-11.

Despite a winning record against American League West teams this season (23-20), the Angels just haven't kept pace in their division. Most of their 7 1/2-game deficit to the Oakland Athletics has come because their rival from the north is 29-15 against division teams.

On Sunday, the Angels had just as many errors (three) as hits. The Angels have 108 errors on the season to lead the AL.

Escobar followed a fielding error by Chone Figgins at third in the second inning by getting a popup. A fielding error by Orlando Cabrera in the third loaded the bases before Magglio Ordonez singled to center. But only one run scored since left fielder Juan Rivera threw out Craig Monroe trying to score from second.

The Angels tied the score on a line-drive home run by Vladimir Guerrero to lead off the fourth inning. It extended hits hit streak to 20 games. An inning later, Cabrera's two-out single scored Tim Salmon with what would be the game-winning run.

The third Angels error came from Figgins in the seventh, when he misplayed another ground ball. But Escobar (10-12) didn't let that mistake bother him. The right-hander allowed just two hits and had seven strikeouts and is now 8-0 in his career against the Tigers.

``It's difficult when you give a good team extra outs,'' said Escobar, who has pitched eight innings in three consecutive outings. ``At the same time, you have to find a way to put those kind of things out of your mind and just keep pitching and minimize the damage. That's all you have to do.''

It sounds simple enough, and having a wide range of dialed-in pitches helps.

``When I have fastball command, it makes it a lot easier for me because I can use my secondary pitches,'' Escobar said. ``My secondary pitches are as good as anybody in the league. Getting ahead and finishing up the guys was the key for me.''

The only help he needed after his 103-pitch outing was a scoreless ninth inning from Francisco Rodriguez. The Angels' closer recorded his 38th save and has not given up a run in his past 24 outings, a span of 24 1/3 innings. It is the best Rodriguez has pitched in a young but still accomplished career.

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The Angels' Kelvim Escobar allowed just two hits and an unearned run in eight innings.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images