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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Anaheim rookie Ramon Ortiz was pitching
aggressively at the start of every inning. The Toronto Blue Jays
were swinging just as aggressively.
Carlos Delgado, Jose Cruz Jr. and Dave Martinez each led off an
inning with a home run as the Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-2 Monday
night.
|  | | Carlos Delgado was the first of three Blue Jays to hit leadoff home runs Monday in Toronto's 4-2 victory over Anaheim. |
Toronto is one game behind Cleveland for the AL wild card spot
and 5½ games behind New York in the AL East.
"When you're in a pennant race, you want to be playing the
teams you have to beat," reliever John Frascatore said. "Having
to play the Yankees, Oakland, Seattle and the Angels, it puts you
at a level where you know you have to beat them because they're in
front of us. So let's strap it on and do it."
Esteban Loaiza (8-9) gave up one earned run and seven hits in
seven innings. It is the first time he has won consecutive
decisions in his eight starts with the Blue Jays.
Reliever Pedro Borbon retired his first batter in the eighth and
walked the next two. But Frascatore struck out Tim Salmon and
retired Garret Anderson on a grounder to end the threat.
It was Frascatore's first appearance since Saturday's heated
argument on the mound with pitching coach Dave Stewart, who had to
be restrained in the dugout when he tried to get at the
right-hander during their dispute about pitch selection.
"There's really no differences between us," Frascatore said.
"We've learned from the same pitching coach (Dave Duncan), so
we're both very intense. Dave and I are just here to get the job
done."
Billy Koch pitched the ninth for his 32nd save. He has been
successful on 21 straight save chances.
"We're used to Billy being automatic -- even last year,"
Frascatore said. "Billy's got some good stuff and he's mixing up
his pitches well. He's just going to take off from here, because
he's learning every day."
Delgado opened the second inning with a drive to left-center for
his AL-leading 39th home run. He connected against Ortiz (4-5), who
fell to 0-3 in his last four starts.
It was Delgado's sixth homer in 12 games and his 87th extra-base
hit of the season, tying the club record Shawn Green set last year.
Delgado has an outside chance to become baseball's first Triple
Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. And he doesn't mind it
when people bring it up. He's not the superstitious type.
"You know what? I'm not sick and tired of it. I prefer to talk
about it, instead of hitting .240 with 10 jacks," Delgado said.
"But I try to keep it in perspective. To me, the first priority
will be to make it to the playoffs. I guarantee you it will be much
sweeter if we're playing baseball in October."
The Blue Jays, who lead the majors with 217 homers, made it 2-0
in the third when Cruz hit a drive to right-center for his 28th of
the year. It marked the second time this season that Cruz has
homered in three straight games.
Toronto increased the margin to 4-1 in the sixth on a shot by
Martinez, who has hit safely in all 18 games he's played since
joining the Blue Jays on Aug. 5 in a trade from Texas.
"He's a great asset to a ballclub, and we need people like that
to win," Delgado said. "He knows how to play the game, he knows
how to hit and he's a good defensive player. I keep telling him
he's good for two hits and a walk every day."
Darrin Fletcher, who on Sunday became the ninth catcher in major
league history to homer three times in one game, doubled with one
out in the Toronto fifth and scored on Mickey Morandini's single
for a 3-1 lead.
Salmon hit his 31st home run in the Anaheim sixth. It was the
Angels' 200th homer of the season, the first time they've reached
the mark in their 40-year history.
"I have a game plan that's working now, and it's like I'm on
automatic pilot," said Salmon, who has raised his average 43
points to .303 since July 20. "Maybe it's because I have so many
at-bats under my belt now.
"Early in the year, I was trying to find those things. I can
remember three months ago saying to myself, `Man, what on earth's
going on?' But now, I'm at a point where I'm starting to resemble
the Tim Salmon of old. I just wish I could put together a full
season like this."
Game notes
After the game, the Angels purchased the contract of LHP
Scott Karl from Class A Lake Elsinore and will start him Tuesday.
They also optioned LHP Juan Alvarez to Triple-A Edmonton. ...
Salmon's home run was the 1,000th hit Loaiza has allowed in the
major leagues. Anderson, the next batter, singled in the sixth for
his 1,000th career hit. ... Loaiza is 3-3 since being traded from
Texas to Toronto on July 19. ... One more home run will make
Delgado the first player in Blue Jays history with consecutive
40-homer seasons. ... Darin Erstad, trying to become the first
player in Angels history to lead the league in hits, singled in the
first inning for his major league-leading 197th. He is five away
from Alex Johnson's 1970 club record.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Anaheim Clubhouse
RECAPS
Tampa Bay 5
Boston 2
Cleveland 5
Texas 2
Toronto 4
Anaheim 2
Oakland 3
Chi. White Sox 0
NY Yankees 9
Seattle 1
St. Louis 5
Florida 2
Montreal 9
Arizona 5
San Francisco 5
Pittsburgh 4
NY Mets 4
Houston 2
Philadelphia 3
Colorado 2
Cincinnati 6
Atlanta 3
San Diego 8
Chicago Cubs 2
Los Angeles 5
Milwaukee 3
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