Anaheim Angels' Troy Glaus scores while Seattle Mariners catcher Dan Wilson waits for the throw on a two-run single by Scott Spiezio during the fourth inning in Seattle. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        SEATTLE — The surprising Anaheim Angels are playing like championship contenders.

        The Angels moved into first place in the AL West on Friday night, getting eight scoreless innings from rookie John Lackey in an 8-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

        Tim Salmon homered and Scott Spiezio had three RBIs for Anaheim (61-40), which beat Seattle (62-41) for the fifth straight time to move two percentage points ahead of the Mariners.

        “The only time we're going to look at the standings is after the last day of the season,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Our challenge is still in house. The standings will take care of themselves.”

        It's been a remarkable turnaround for the Angels, who were 10 1/2 games behind Seattle on April 23. The Mariners had been in sole possession of first since April 11.

        “Any time you lose, it's painful,” Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. “I don't care whether it's 8-0, 3-2 or 14-0, it's painful. And don't think it isn't.”

        Anaheim has won three straight and eight of 10 to move 21 games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 26, 1995. That was the season when the Mariners overcame a 13-game deficit and beat the Angels in a one-game playoff for the division title.

        Anaheim hasn't won the division since 1986 — the second longest drought in the AL. It's the first time the Angels have been in first place since May 5, 2000, when they were tied for the lead with the Mariners.

        “We weren't playing good baseball in April and pretty much got it handed to us,” Scioscia said. “Right now, we're a totally different club. We're playing good baseball and the wins are coming.”

        Lackey (2-1), called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on June 26, allowed six hits, one walk and struck out five in his sixth career start. He pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh inning.

        Lackey retired Jeff Cirillo on a flyout for the second out and then got Ichiro Suzuki on a grounder that deflected off Lackey's bare hand and went to shortstop David Eckstein, who got the force at second.

        Al Levine finished the seven-hitter.

        Lackey, 23, lasted only 3 2-3 innings in a no-decision against Seattle in Anaheim last Saturday night. He left the game trailing 5-1 that the Angels won 7-6.

        “I really tried to just forget about last time and go back to what I do best,” Lackey said. “I was just trying to stay aggressive with my fastball and get ahead a little bit.”

        He agreed with Scioscia when asked about being in first place.

        “It sounds nice, but there's a long way to go,” he said. “We've been playing good ball. We've just got to stay at it and hope that things will work out for us.”

        Salmon gave the Angels a 1-0 lead against James Baldwin (6-7) in the fourth when he hit his 16th homer of the season, a line shot into the Anaheim bullpen in left field.

        Salmon, in his 11th season with the Angels, is still waiting for his first postseason appearance.

        “This has been a long time coming,” he said. “It's great, but I don't want to put a lot into it right now. There's a lot of games left. It's nice to finally feel like you've caught up, but here's where the work starts.”

        Garret Anderson singled and Troy Glaus walked in the fourth before Spiezio drove them in with a two-out single.

        Anaheim made it 4-0 in the fifth on singles by Adam Kennedy and Eckstein and, a double-play grounder by Darin Erstad.

        The Angels chased Baldwin with consecutive singles by Anderson, Glaus and Brad Fullmer to load the bases in the sixth.

        Doug Creek, acquired from Tampa Bay on Wednesday, came in and got two outs, but walked pinch-hitter Shawn Wooten to force in Glaus. Eckstein then hit a grounder that bounced off shortstop Carlos Guillen's glove for a two-run error.

        Baldwin, who lost for the first time since June 11, allowed seven runs — five earned — and nine hits in five innings.

        “There are a lot of games left and we weren't expecting to go out and have a 16-game lead,” Baldwin said. “We knew it was going to be a battle. This is what baseball is all about.”

        CLOSER CLOSER: The Anaheim Angels will activate closer Troy Percival from the 15-day disabled list for Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners.

        The Angels created room on their roster for Percival by optioning right-hander Lou Pote to Triple-A Salt Lake after their 8-0 victory over the Mariners Friday night.

        Percival has been on the disabled list twice this season. He was out from April 3-17 with a strained right intercoastal muscle and was put back on the disabled list July 12 because of an infected abrasion of his left Achilles.

        He has a 3-1 record and 22 saves in 24 opportunities this season, with a 2.15 ERA in 32 games.

        Pote, a middle reliever, was 0-1 with a 3.23 ERA in 30 games with Anaheim this season.

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