FIGGINS' SIXTH SENSE IS WINNER RECORDS 6 HITS, AS ANGELS COME BACK.

Byline: BEN VILLA

Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- Hurt, struggling and perhaps on the verge of losing his third base job, Chone Figgins never stopped working hard and Monday, all the sweat and tears finally paid off.

Figgins set a club record for hits in a nine-inning game, going 6 for 6, including driving in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Angels came back to beat the Houston Astros 10-9 in front of 42,232 at Angel Stadium.

The win was the Angels' third in a row, and their 45 victories lead majors.

"You are not going to get a better night than Chone had tonight," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He kept coming through in key situations, and there was no bigger one than the last one. It wasn't a clean game, but we kept going, we kept scoring and we never quit."

The Astros had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning, when they loaded the bases with just one out, but Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez got Morgan Ensberg to line out and struck out Craig Biggio to end the threat.

That set the stage for Figgins in the bottom of the ninth.

With two out, Reggie Willits singled, and Astros manager Phil Garner went to his bullpen and brought in left-hander Trever Miller to turn Figgins around and bat from the right side.

Figgins was 5 for 5 batting left-handed, but Garner's move didn't work. Figgins lined a triple into the right-field corner to score Willits and end the game.

Figgins' sixth hit also ties the club record for most hits in a game of any length. Garret Anderson went 6 for 7 in a 15-inning game Sept. 27, 1996, at Texas.

The game was especially gratifying for Figgins, who fractured two fingers in spring training. When he came back, he saw his average drop as low as .113 on May 18.

"I just kept battling every day," Figgins said. "I was given days off and all that stuff, but I kept playing hard, and I knew things would work out for me in the end. Man, 6 for 6, I can't explain it. I just found some holes tonight."

Angels starter John Lackey was looking to become the majors' first 11-game winner, but he lasted only 4 2/3 innings as the Astros roughed him up for sixruns and eight hits.

With the Angels leading 4-1 and one out in the top of the fifth inning, Craig Biggio singled with one out to move one step closer to 3,000 hits -- he's now just 10shy. Lackey came back to strikeout Hunter Pence for the second out, but that was the last out he would get. Five runs later, he was replaced by Hector Carrasco, who would end up allowing three runs in the top of the seventh.

Trailing 9-4, the Angels came all the way back in the bottom of the seventh. Shea Hillenbrand stroked his third hit of the game, this one a two-run single to get the Angels to within 9-6, and and after catcher Mike Napoli grounded into a fielder's choice, Erick Aybar added a RBI single. Willits got them closer with a sacrifice fly, and with Aybar at third base and two out, Figgins came through with his fifth hit of the game, a high chopper to first base that he beat out to tie the score.

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Angels starter John Lackey was looking to become the majors' first 11-game winner, but he didn't make it out of the fifth.

Francis Specker/Associated Press