By Ken Peters
The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Credit the save to the Angels in the outfield.

With Anaheim clinging to a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning of Game 3 in the AL championship series, the Minnesota Twins hit two sinking fly balls that had "hit" written all over them.

But Alex Ochoa, who had just entered as a defensive replacement for Tim Salmon, and Garret Anderson thought they had chances to make plays.

Doug Mientkiewicz led off the Twins' ninth against closer Troy Percival with a low liner to right field that sent Ochoa scurrying to his right, apparently to try to head off any chance of the ball going through for an extra-base hit.

But at the last second, the sprinting Ochoa dived and made the catch just a few inches above the grass for the first out.

The second out was considerably easier for Ochoa: Dustan Mohr lifted a lazy fly to right that the Angels' right fielder was able to camp under.

Then, with the crescendo from the crowd at Edison Field building with each pitch Percival threw, A.J. Pierzynski hit a blooper to shallow left. The ball didn't appear deep enough or high enough for Anderson to reach, and the fans seemed to groan in unison.

But somehow, he got there.

Anderson, who hit a solo homer and doubled earlier in the game, rarely leaves his feet going after a ball, but he looked like a daring Gold Glove winner on Pierzynski's short fly.

Playing deep, Anderson quickly covered some 30 yards and made a sliding catch, barely getting his glove under the ball and above the turf.

Still on the ground, he raised his glove with the ball perched in the web to show he'd made a game-ending catch.

The crowd roared as the Angels won 2-1 to take a two games to one lead in the best-of-seven series.

Percival, who earned his second save in two games and fourth of the postseason, appreciated the defensive support.

"I'll tell you what, they were both fantastic catches," he said. "That last one, I thought there was no chance in the world at it, because I know Garret was playing fairly deep with a lefty up covering that gap. But he comes in on the ball better than anybody I've seen in left field. I'm glad to have him out there."