Angels 7, Mariners 5
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run homer, and Jose Guillen doubled in two runs to break a tie in the seventh inning to help the Anaheim Angels rally to win their home opener, 7-5 over Seattle on Tuesday night.
With the rally monkey — their video mascot — making his season debut on the big screen and fans banging ThunderStix, the Angels came back from a 4-0 deficit.
Guillen, along with Guerrero one of four free high-profile free agents signed by the Angels during the winter, doubled sharply down the left-field line on reliever Julio Mateo's first pitch to give Anaheim a 6-4 lead. Another run scored on Tim Salmon's groundout during the three-run seventh.
The Angels tied it with pair of two-run homers off Joel Pineiro, the first by Guerrero in the fifth inning and the second by Bengie Molina in the sixth.
Scot Shields (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the victory, and Troy Percival worked a perfect ninth for his second save of the season. Seattle's Rafael Soriano (0-2) was charged with two runs in the seventh.
Molina took what looked almost like a golf swing at a low pitch in the sixth inning and the ball barely cleared the fence in left for his first home run of the season.
It also was his first game of the year after sitting out with a sore hamstring.
Guerrero pulled Anaheim to 4-2 with his third homer. Guerrero, who averaged 37 homers year in the past six seasons with the Montreal Expos, drove a low, breaking pitch from Pineiro high over the wall in left center.
Seattle's Edgar Martinez hit a two-run homer, his first, on a 3-1 fastball from Kelvim Escobar in the first inning.
The Mariners made it 3-0 on Raul Ibanez's sacrifice fly in the third, and added another run in the fourth on Randy Winn's RBI double. Seattle's other run scored on Adam Kennedy's throwing error in the eighth.
The scene at newly renamed Angels Stadium of Anaheim for the home opener was reminiscent — in sight and sound — of the way the park was when the Angels won the 2002 World Series. The majority of the fans wore red and banged red ThunderStix during the opener, as they had during the World Series.
Then the crowd roared when the rally monkey made his appearance.
Escobar gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings. For Seattle, Pineiro allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 inning.
Angels owner Arte Moreno threw out the first pitch and was given a standing ovation by the sellout crowd of 43,443.
Notes: Anaheim 3B Troy Glaus missed his second game because of tight left hamstring. … Angels RHP Brendan Donnelly, out with a nose injury since March 9, got a doctor's OK to begin light workouts. … Anaheim CF Garret Anderson agreed Tuesday to a $48 million, four-year contract extension through 2008. The deal includes a team option for 2009 with a $3 million buyout. … Moreno's ceremonial pitch was low and inside without much on it, but good enough to earn a big cheer from the crowd and a big hug from wife Carole, who accompanied him to the mound. … Injured Seattle 3B Scott Spiezio got one of the loudest receptions during pregame introductions. He is remembered in Anaheim for hitting a clutch three-run home for the Angels in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series.