Guerrero homers for third time this season, has four RBIs as Angels beat Orioles 11-4

Guerrero homers, Angels beat Orioles

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Vladimir Guerrero hit his third home run of the season and had four RBIs, and the Los Angeles Angels used a late rally to beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-4 on Saturday night.

Guerrero’s three-run shot in the eighth brought some of the Fourth of July fireworks out early. He hit a 1-0 pitch off reliever Brian Bass to left field and came out for a curtain call after fans cheered for him. The Angels set off celebratory fireworks after the homer.

Behind Guerrero, the Angels scored six runs in that eighth.

They batted around the order and also had RBIs from Torii Hunter and Chone Figgins.

A rally in the seventh, with Juan Rivera driving in the go-ahead run off Baltimore pitcher Danys Baez, put Los Angeles up for good, 5-4.

Baez (4-3) replaced Matt Albers to start the inning, and the Angels didn’t waste any time getting to work.

Figgins and Bobby Abreu led off with singles, and Hunter was walked to load the bases. Figgins scored on Guerrero’s double-play grounder to tie it at 4, and Rivera drove in Abreu when Baltimore outfielders Nick Markakis and Adam Jones misplayed his popup.

Jason Bulger (3-1) worked 1 1-3 innings for the win.

Jason Berken pitched four innings for Baltimore, giving up three runs — two earned — while striking out three in one of his shortest outings this season.

Angels starter Sean O’Sullivan gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings. Baltimore took a 3-0 lead in the third off the rookie in an inning where Los Angeles came up short on defense.

Brian Roberts, Jones and Markakis drove in runs for the Orioles, with Roberts’ RBI double to right field coming off a hit that landed just inches from Abreu’s glove. That close play was the second that landed Baltimore’s players on the bases — Robert Andino squeezed in a single to put runners on the corners after shortstop Maicer Izturis couldn’t make the throw to first in time.

Jones’ RBI single in the fifth made it 4-0.

Abreu, Hunter and Guerrero drove in runs off Berken in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3. But Rivera hit into a double play to end it.

NOTES: Orioles’ SS Cesar Izturis could be activated Friday to play against Toronto, Orioles’ manager Dave Trembley said before the game. Izturis, who had an emergency appendectomy and has not played since June 3, will get through batting practice and a few games with Double-A Bowie before being activated. “If he passes all that he’ll be ready to be activated,” said Trembley. … Angels 2B Howie Kendrick got to the stadium just in time to stay in the lineup. After getting called up from the minors, Kendrick’s flight was delayed from Colorado Springs.