Angels 1, Athletics 0, 10 innings

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) In less than two weeks, Tim Salmon almost certainly will reach the playoffs for the first time. No active player has waited longer than the Anaheim Angels outfielder.

With a 10th-inning homer that ended a sublime pitching duel Tuesday night, Salmon showed just how much he's looking forward to October.

After Mark Mulder and Jarrod Washburn pitched to a scoreless draw through nine innings, Salmon homered off Billy Koch as the Angels reclaimed sole possession of first place in the AL West with a 1-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

With a one-out shot to deep left, Salmon got the only big hit of the night in the 1,378th game of his career. He has spent it all with the Angels, who have been the Long Beach native's only team since he was drafted in 1989.

Salmon, the Angels' franchise leader with 267 career homers, couldn't remember a game with better pitching by two starters and he couldn't remember many bigger hits in his life than this one.

``It just feels so great to get the big one in a game like this,'' Salmon said. ``I've played my whole career for this. I've never been to the playoffs, but I can't imagine more intensity than there was out there tonight. I guess it was finally time for me to get one.''

After Oakland climbed back into a first-place tie with a win over the Angels on Monday, Anaheim returned the favor in a four-game series that has big implications on baseball's tightest division race. The Angels have won 17 of 19.

With 11 games to go, neither team seems capable of pulling far ahead of the other. Nine of their 18 meetings, including five of six over the past nine days, were decided by one run.

``I've never been to the playoffs, but I can't imagine anything much more adrenalin-filled than this,'' said Angels closer Troy Percival, who pitched the 10th for his 250th career save. ``That was probably the best-pitched ballgame on both sides I've ever seen. Both guys didn't miss a spot all night.''

Koch (10-4), who won for Oakland on Monday, relieved Mulder to start the 10th. Salmon, who was hitting just .162 in September, worked a full count before hitting his 20th homer of the season deep into the elevated stands.

``It wouldn't have gone out if the fence was 100 feet back,'' Koch said with a grimace. ``He absolutely crushed that ball. My luck ran out. Before I went in, I was thinking, 'This is a good game. I don't want to be the goat.' After he hit that ball, I thought, 'Damn, I am the goat.'''

Mulder, a 17-game winner, tied his career-high with 12 strikeouts for Oakland, allowing five hits over nine innings. He was matched for eight innings by 18-game winner Washburn, who yielded three hits while pitching on three days' rest.

Neither pitcher walked a batter, and Washburn didn't allow a runner past first base.

``It's never something you wish for, to be in a battle like that, but it was a lot of fun out there,'' said Washburn, who felt no ill effects from returning early. ``I'm never dominant, but it was just about the best game I've pitched all year. It was definitely one of the highlights of my career so far.''

Ben Weber (7-2) pitched the ninth for the win. Percival allowed a baserunner in the 10th, but he finished strong for his 40th save in 44 chances.

Washburn retired 14 of 15 hitters at one point, while Mulder struck out three straight batters in three separate instances, including four straight spanning the seventh and eighth innings.

Mulder's strikeout total was all the more remarkable against the Angels, who have struck out more than 100 fewer times than any team in the majors.< ^Notes:@ With Olmedo Saenz still hurting from a finger injury, Randy Velarde made his first start of the season at first base. ... Mulder had his third career 10-strikeout game. All three came this season. ... With each victory, the Angels increase the franchise record for victories. ... Oakland didn't hit a double for the sixth consecutive game. It's the longest such string for the franchise since 1978.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)