Guerrero’s Feat Puts Him on Cloud Nine

For a previous generation of Angel fans, long before championships and bandwagons, this was the question: Were you there the night Nolan Ryan did that something special?

For the new generation of Angel fans, this will be the question: Were you there the night Vladimir Guerrero did that something special?

The Angels long have quivered against the magical right arm of Pedro Martinez, but Guerrero led a stunningly successful charge against his Dominican countryman Wednesday night. Guerrero set a franchise record and career high by driving in nine runs -- on two home runs, a double, a single and a sacrifice fly -- in a 10-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox in front of 43,205, the eighth consecutive sellout at Angel Stadium.

“Vladi is a player you dream of,” Martinez said. “He’s in a class with A-Rod and Manny [Ramirez] and any great hitter you can name.”

With beleaguered closer Troy Percival unavailable after an MRI examination of an inflamed right elbow, Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth inning for the save, striking out two and capping an evening in which he and fellow relievers Ramon Ortiz and Scot Shields combined to shut out the Red Sox on one hit over the final 5 2/3 innings.

Even the supremely confident Rodriguez, who has a 0.62 earned-run average, shuddered when asked whether he might like to try to get Guerrero out right now.

“That guy is on fire,” Rodriguez said. “I’m cool right here. I don’t want to face that guy under any circumstances.”

Guerrero, two months into his American League career, appears poised for a Triple Crown run. He leads the league in runs batted in (49) and runs scored (48), ranks second in home runs (14, one behind Ramirez) and third in batting average at .357.

He took a curtain call from the dugout after his second home run -- and another in right field, after the video board saluted his franchise record.

“This is very special,” coach Alfredo Griffin said, translating Guerrero’s remarks into English. “He did it [a curtain call] in Montreal a few times, but not in front of a crowd like this. It’s a good feeling.”

David Eckstein extended his hitting streak to 17 games in grand fashion, setting a career high with five hits. Chone Figgins, batting between Eckstein and Guerrero, had three hits.

In the first inning, with Eckstein on base, Guerrero homered. In the third, with Eckstein and Figgins on base, Guerrero drove home both men with a double.

In the fourth, with the bases loaded, Guerrero delivered a sacrifice fly.

In the sixth, with Eckstein and Figgins on base, the Red Sox replaced Martinez with Mike Timlin, and Guerrero homered.

In the seventh, with Eckstein and Figgins on base, Guerrero singled home Eckstein.

Significant news also occurred long before the first pitch, when the Oakland Athletics announced that their best hitter, third baseman Eric Chavez, would probably sit out six to eight weeks because of a broken hand. Mark McLemore replaced him Wednesday.

That the A’s -- the Angels’ primary division rival and a team run by an aggressive general manager, Billy Beane -- might look to trade for a third baseman did not concern Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman.

Two weeks ago, the Angels lost third baseman Troy Glaus to shoulder surgery, at best until September and possibly for the season, but Stoneman said he did not care whether an available third baseman might end up with the A’s instead of the Angels.

“If we were going to do that, we would have done it already,” he said.

With Raul Mondesi acquired last week to play center field, Stoneman said the Angels were committed to Figgins at third base.

“The plan is that we’ll do it with the guys we’ve got,” Stoneman said. “If they play well, it will be that way for the rest of the season. That has nothing to do with Oakland’s misfortune.”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

*--* Driven Most runs-batted-in in a game for the Angels: 9 Vladimir Guerrero, June 2, 2004 vs. Boston 8 Adam Kennedy, April 18, 2000 at Toronto Don Baylor, Aug. 25, 1979 at Toronto Leon Wagner, Sept. 28, 1961 vs. Wash. Lee Thomas, Sept. 5, 1961 at Kansas City MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD 12 Mark Whiten (St. Louis), Sept. 7, 1993 Jim Bottomley (St. Louis), Sept. 16, 1924 AMERICAN LEAGUE RECORD 11 Tony Lazzeri (New York), May 24, 1936

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Record Breaker

Vladimir Guerrero became the Angels’ single-game RBI leader Wednesday when he collected No. 9, passing four others in his last at-bat:

*--* No. Player Date Opp. 8 Adam Kennedy April 18, 2000 at Toronto 8 Don Baylor Aug. 25, 1979 at Toronto 8 Leon Wagner Sept. 28, 1961 vs. Washington 8 Lee Thomas Sept. 5, 1961 at Kansas City

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