GUILLEN GIVES 'EM A SHOW DISCARDED DEVIL RAY HOMERS TO HELP SELE GAIN FIRST WIN ANGELS 7, TAMPA BAY 3.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Jose Guillen's odyssey through six major-league organizations eventually landed him with the Angels, where it appears he's destined to become a star.

And while no player would choose to follow Guillen's circuitous path through the big leagues, there is one upside to having more stamps in your passport than a traveling European salesman.

There's no shortage of former employers providing motivation to excel.

Guillen, who felt stifled in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization when he played there from 1999-2001, showed one of his many former employers Thursday that he's reaching his very high ceiling.

He ripped the first pitch from Devil Rays reliever Dicky Gonzalez beyond the left-field fence in the fifth inning, keying the Angels' 7-3 victory in front of 34,538 at Angel Stadium.

The Angels (19-10) extended their winning streak to six games and won for the 12th time in 15 games to move into sole possession of first place in the American League West.

Aaron Sele (1-0) delivered a steady, if not dominant, six-inning performance in his first start as a full-fledged rotation member. He got a major assist from right fielder Vladimir Guerrero, who cut down Julio Lugo with a startling throw to save a run and end the third inning.

But the decisive blow was struck by Guillen, who homered for the third consecutive game.

Sele had dropped the Angels in a 3-1 hole entering the bottom of the fifth, but consecutive singles by Darin Erstad, Chone Figgins, Guerrero and Troy Glaus tied the score.

Devil Rays starter Jeremi Gonzalez was removed for reliever Gonzalez, who hung a breaking ball that Guillen ripped into the tunnel in left field for a 6-3 lead.

Guillen has five home runs and 24 RBI, the latter figure placing him second in the league. He has seven multihit games in his past nine and driven in 19 runs in his past 19 games, a stretch in which his sore left wrist has gradually neared 100 percent.

The Devil Rays (9-18) provided Guillen a weak pitching staff and a source of motivation. Earlier this year, Guillen said of his stint there, ``I was promised so many times I'd be an everyday player.''

That never panned out, but things are working out swimmingly here.

``The talent's been there since he came up to the big leagues,'' manager Mike Scioscia said of Guillen. ``You're seeing a player figuring it out, a player who's confident, who started last year in the minor leagues. It's great to watch.''

Guillen took the high road Thursday when asked about his Devil Rays days, a stretch interrupted by a gruesome ankle injury that slowed his progress.

``They never gave me the chance to play, but I got hurt three or four times,'' he said. ``That's baseball. I don't have any hard feelings. Last year was the first year I was able to stay consistent.''

Guillen's two-run homer Wednesday put the Angels ahead to stay against Detroit, and his solo homer Tuesday provided insurance that eventually would be necessary.

On Thursday, his shot ensured Sele's rotation return would be a winning one.

Sele yielded eight hits and two walks in six innings, but he made key pitches when he needed to. He gave up three singles, including a two-run single by Rocco Baldelli, in the first inning but escaped without further damage.

``My mantra is keep it close and pitch deep into games,'' said Sele, who stretched from 61 pitches in five innings of his first start Saturday at Minnesota to 96 pitches Thursday. ``When you give up runs, you want to give them up early.''

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The Angels' David Eckstein tries to leap over Devil Rays catcher Toby Hall and score in the sixth inning, but he's tagged out.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press