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Angels can breathe easy

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Now, the Anaheim Angels can celebrate.

After 16 years and a four-game losing streak that kept putting off the party, the Angels finally clinched a playoff berth with a 10-5 victory over the Rangers on Thursday.

"We would have taken it anyway, but to have an opportunity to get to do this right here, it's pretty special," said centerfielder Darin Erstad, who was doused in champagne and beer in the Anaheim clubhouse.

Since a postseason appearance in 1986, the closest the Angels got to the playoffs was when they finished a game behind Seattle in 1995, when Garret Anderson and Troy Percival were rookies.

"I had a glimpse of it my first year, but that has been a sour note in my career until now," Anderson said. "I was so close, then the last six or seven years I got a rude awakening of how hard it is to really get to the postseason. I'm enjoying this."

With the score tied at 2 in the fifth, 11-year veteran Tim Salmon hit a run-scoring infield single and Anderson a three-run homer off Colby Lewis.

Salmon and Scott Spiezio hit two-run homers in the seventh.

Rookie John Lackey allowed three runs and seven hits and left after giving up consecutive singles to start the sixth.

Anaheim, which eliminated Seattle with the victory, will open the postseason Tuesday in New York against the Yankees. Oakland and Minnesota also have clinched AL playoff berths.

The Angels, who had lost seven of nine, clinched on the road for the first time. They also went to the playoffs in 1979 and 1982 but never have won a postseason series.

While Anaheim struggled the past week, the Mariners remained in contention with consecutive come-from-behind wins over the A's.

"It's been a long grind. It's been emotionally draining and physically draining," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We got over that little rough spot of maybe guys were trying to bull themselves through that last game to get at least to the playoffs."

After the first three weeks this season, the Angels were a franchise-worst 6-14 and 10 1/2 behind Seattle in the West. Now they have a club-record 97 wins, 45 on the road.

Todd Greene's ninth homer gave Texas a 1-0 lead in the second, but Anaheim scored two unearned runs in the fourth after an error by leftfielder Mike Lamb. Brad Fullmer had a run-scoring double and Troy Glaus a run-scoring groundout.

The lead lasted one pitch in the bottom half, as Herbert Perry homered. But the Angels charged right back in front in the fifth.

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