ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Anaheim Angels' front office is getting a lot of satisfaction from its decision to stick with Scott Spiezio at first base instead of signing a high-profile player.

Spiezio has more than held his own as an everyday player for the Angels, whose 7-0 victory over Detroit on Monday increased their lead in the AL wild card race to a game over Boston and pulled them within two games of Seattle in the AL West.

"Speez has just been awesome. From Day 1, he's gone out there and proved himself to be one of the top-notch defensive players in the game," Angels shortstop David Eckstein said.

"Offensively, he's tearing the cover off the ball. He's finally getting an opportunity to play day in and day out and hit from both sides of the plate, and he's taking full advantage of it."

In the only other AL game, Toronto edged Oakland 2-1.

Barring injury or a work stoppage, Spiezio will get 500 at-bats in a big league season for the first time since 1997, when he was with Oakland.

The versatile six-year veteran, who has started at five different positions this year, is hitting .281 with 52 RBIs - just two fewer than last year's total in 126 fewer at-bats.

He also committed only three errors in his last 224 games at first base, the best fielding percentage among major leaguers at that position since the start of last season.

"When you're not playing, it's not as fun as when you are. So there were times when I was frustrated," said Spiezio, who whose two-run homer triggered a five-run fifth inning that broke the game open.

"I just tried to control what I could control, and when I did get the opportunity, I tried to do something with it," he said. "Now I've gotten the chance to play, I'm having fun and I'm really appreciative. It's a blast when the team is winning."

Garret Anderson homered two pitches after Spiezio's seventh of the season, and Kevin Appier (10-9) allowed three hits over 6 2-3 innings against a team that is last in the AL in walks, runs, homers and on-base percentage.

"He has to lick his chops when the Tigers come to town," Tigers right fielder Robert Fick said.

Appier gave up a two-out single and two walks in the seventh before Al Levine struck out Brandon Inge. Levine and Scot Shields combined to finish the four-hitter, sending the Tigers to their seventh shutout.

Detroit tied a season high with three errors and raised their season total to a major league-leading 102, surpassing the New York Mets. Two of the miscues allowed runs to score.

Redman (7-10) was charged with six runs - five earned - and nine hits in four-plus innings after allowing no more than two earned runs in any of his previous six starts.

"Everybody had a problem tonight," Redman said. "I didn't have my `A' stuff, and the boys had a little trouble behind me."

Anderson is leading the Angels in home runs (20), RBIs (88) and batting average (.313). The only players in club history to lead the team in all three categories while playing in at least 100 games were Wally Joyner (1987), Rick Reichardt (1968) and Chili Davis - who played in 108 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season.

"That's what I've been trying to do the last three or four years - become more of a complete hitter. And I'm just starting to reap the benefits of all that work that I've been putting in," said Anderson, who played in his first All-Star game last month. "I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm just hoping to keep up that pace."

Blue Jays 2, Athletics 1

Terrence Long hit a leadoff triple in the bottom of the ninth inning, but was stranded as Oakland lost to Toronto.

After Long tripled, Kelvim Escobar struck out pinch-hitter John Mabry, got Greg Myers on a grounder and retired Mark Ellis on a fly ball.

Esteban Loaiza, throwing a cut fastball he learned about a month ago, won on the road for the first time in six starts.

The Blue Jays beat the Athletics for the fifth straight time. Josh Phelps, leading the International League with 24 home runs when he was promoted July 2, hit his fourth homer for Toronto.

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