ANAHEIM, Calif. — The umpires didn't need instant replay to reverse a home run call this time because it was so obvious.

The Los Angeles Angels did need an eighth-inning rally and Francisco Rodriguez's 50th save to beat the Minnesota Twins, however.

Vladimir Guerrero tied the score with an RBI triple in the eighth and Gary Matthews Jr. drove him in with another three-base hit two batters later, helping the Angels win, 5-3, yesterday to earn a split of the four-game series.

The Twins were leading 3-2 in the eighth when Jason Kubel hit a high, arching drive down the right-field line that was called a home run by first base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. While Kubel rounded the bases, an incredulous Mike Scioscia came running out of the Angels dugout to argue and implore Wendelstedt to get a second opinion from his crew mates.

It didn't take long for the ruling to be overturned, and Kubel ended up striking out against rookie reliever Jose Arredondo (6-1).

"It was pretty unanimous right from the beginning," said crew chief Randy Marsh, who worked third base. "Nobody likes to reverse one, and I've been involved with some in pretty big situations like that. But when you get the call right, everyone's behind you — the media and the teams on the field."

Management and the umpires' union signed an agreement last Wednesday, leaving a deal with players as the next step to bring instant replay into baseball for the first time to help with calls on home runs.

Arredondo pitched a perfect eighth for the win, and Rodriguez got three outs to put him within seven saves of Bobby Thigpen's single-season record.

"I would love to get that record. I'm not going to lie to you," Rodriguez said. "In the meantime, it's something I can't control. We've got a long way to go and I'm still looking forward to getting some more opportunities."

Indians 4, Rangers 3: Franklin Gutierrez's tiebreaking single in the ninth inning led visiting Cleveland to its seventh straight win. Ryan Garko led off the ninth with a single off Eddie Guardado (3-3). Pinch runner Andy Gonzalez advanced to second on Kelly Shoppach's sacrifice bunt, and Gonzalez raced home on Gutierrez's single up the middle.

White Sox 6, Rays 5: Alexei Ramirez singled home the winning run in the 10th inning, and host Chicago rallied to avoid a sweep. Jim Thome hit his 534th homer, Carlos Quentin also connected and the White Sox tied it at 5 in the ninth on pinch-hitter Paul Konerko's two-out single off fill-in closer Dan Wheeler.

Yankees 8, Orioles 7: Robinson Cano hit the tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning after visiting New York blew a five-run lead. Cano went 4 for 5 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Johnny Damon hit a three-run homer and Bobby Abreu had three hits for the Yankees.

Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 5: Jed Lowrie hit a solo homer in the 11th inning, Dustin Pedroia had a three-run shot in the second and visiting Boston beat Toronto. Lowrie hit a one-out drive to right, his second big league homer, off right-hander Brandon League (0-2), a St. Louis School alum.

Mariners 8, Athletics 4: Felix Hernandez allowed three runs over six innings to win for the first time in more than a month, and J.J. Putz earned his ninth save for host Seattle. Hernandez (8-8) struck out seven to win his first game since beating Cleveland on July 18.

Royals 7, Tigers 3: Brandon Duckworth went five shaky innings for his first major league win as a starter in more than two years, helping host Kansas City end a seven-game losing streak. Duckworth (1-0) allowed seven hits and four walks.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cubs 6, Nationals 1: Rich Harden matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts, Mark DeRosa homered for the fourth straight game and host Chicago took its eighth straight series. Harden, 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA since his July trade from Oakland, reached double-digit strikeouts for the fifth time in eight starts with the Cubs.

ASTROS 6, METS 4: Brad Ausmus led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the season, Darin Erstad connected for his third three batters later and visiting Houston rallied against New York's bullpen. Hunter Pence had a two-run shot for Houston in the fourth.

Marlins 5, Diamondbacks 2: Josh Willingham homered and drove in two runs to back Ricky Nolasco's outstanding pitching performance, moving visiting Florida within five games of the first-place Mets. Nolasco (13-7) allowed three hits and struck out 10 over 7 1/3 innings.

Phillies 5, Dodgers 2: Pedro Feliz hit a tying RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a three-run homer with two outs in the 11th to lift host Philadelphia over Los Angeles. Maui's Shane Victorino and Chris Coste scored on Feliz's drive to center.

Cardinals 6, Braves 3: Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer, his eighth hit in 10 at-bats, and host St. Louis handed Atlanta its 12th loss in 14 games. Pujols hit his 28th homer in the first, lining a 1-0 fastball from Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10) into the left-field stands.

Brewers 4, Pirates: J.J. Hardy singled in the winning run on his bobblehead day at Miller Park, and host Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh. CC Sabathia got a no-decision instead of a win for a change, but the Brewers still kept pace in the playoff race with their 23rd win in their last at-bat.

Rockies 4, Reds 3: Omar Quintanilla homered with one out in the 12th inning and host Colorado took advantage of five Cincinnati errors for the victory. Quintanilla, who entered as a defensive replacement at second base in the 12th, hit a 1-2 pitch from Mike Lincoln (1-5) into the right-field bleachers.

Giants 7, Padres 4: Kevin Correia pitched six innings to win for only the second time since April, Bengie Molina homered and drove in five runs and host San Francisco finished a three-game sweep. Correia (3-7) scattered seven hits and struck out four on his 28th birthday.