ORTIZ ALL RIGHT WITH HRS ANGELS WIN DESPITE A-ROD BLAST ANGELS 5, TEXAS 2.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Since Alex Rodriguez leads the American League in home runs, and Ramon Ortiz tops the AL in home runs given up, it's probably just as well they got the inevitable gopher ball out of the way just three batters into Monday night's game at Edison Field.

That way, Ortiz had plenty of time to settle down and prove that one bad pitch doesn't matter as long as the other 100 or so are good.

Ortiz brushed off Rodriguez's homer quickly, giving up just four hits in 6 2/3 innings to lead the Angels to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers before 15,619.

Rodriguez's first-inning home run was his 19th, and the 18th Ortiz has given up this season. But Ortiz was sharp after that, improving to 6-5, and he ran his career record against Texas to 8-1.

Garret Anderson hit his 10th home run to continue his recent hot streak, and Troy Percival finished up for his 10th save and second in as many days as Anaheim stayed within three games of first-place Seattle.

Ortiz, meanwhile, continued to prove that the occasional home run ball need not be ruinous. He's given up nine home runs in his past four starts - and won two of them.

That's because the 29-year-old Dominican's stuff is usually good enough to overcome the occasional lapse, physical or mental.

Such was the case Monday.

Ortiz walked Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez after Rodriguez's home run, but escaped the first by striking out Mike Lamb. That started a stretch in which Ortiz retired 16 of 18 batters. He didn't yield another hit until Lamb's leadoff single in the seventh.

By then, Anderson had tied it with his home run, Brad Fullmer contributed an RBI triple in the third and Tim Salmon drove Fullmer in with a single to give Anaheim a 4-1 lead.

Texas starter Rob Bell (2-2) kept the Rangers close by retiring nine of 10 batters in the middle innings, but by then, Ortiz was locked in. He finished with five strikeouts and four walks.

Before the game, manager Mike Scioscia noted that there are worse problems than a tendency to yield home run balls. Three hours later, Ortiz proved it.

``I don't think there are many adjustments Ramon has to make,'' Scioscia said. ``You look at ERA (3.47 coming in) and how deep he pitches into games and pay attention to those instead of one stat. I don't think home runs given up are an indication of his performance. There are so many positives that his style of being aggressive brings.

``Experience has been the best teacher for Ramon. So many areas, he's making strides.''

Ortiz tired in the seventh, giving up singles to Lamb, Taft High and Moorpark College product Gabe Kapler and Jason Romano, the latter driving in Lamb to shave the Angels' lead to 4-2.

That prompted Scioscia to bring in reliever Ben Weber, who struck out Herbert Perry with the tying run on first to end the threat.

Darin Erstad provided some insurance in the bottom of the inning, hitting an RBI single off former USC standout Randy Flores for a 5-2 lead.

Reliever Al Levine then created some drama, giving up a single to Rodriguez and a walk to Palmeiro before falling behind Gonzalez 3-and-1. But he battled back to strike Gonzalez out looking on an off-speed pitch that hugged the outside corner.

Levine struck out Lamb and got former Angel Todd Greene on a fielder's choice to end the inning, and Percival finished up as the Angels (32-22) started their longest home stand of the season on a winning note.

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Photo:

Garret Anderson rounds third base after hitting a solo homer in the second inning Monday as Texas' Herbert Perry, left, looks on.

John Hayes/Associated Press