Arlington, Texas ? Vladimir Guerrero is hitting the ball hard and proving himself as the MVP of the Anaheim Angels in his first real pennant chase.

Guerrero homered twice and drove in five runs while going 4-for-5 Tuesday night, leading the Angels to an 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers. The Angels’ fourth straight win moved Anaheim back into first place.

Anaheim (89-68) returned to top of the AL West in a tie with Oakland for the first time since June 8 after the Athletics lost, 7-4, later Tuesday night to Seattle. The Rangers (86-71) are three games back with five to play.

“This thing can change momentum in a heartbeat. There’s no reason to put too much stock in where we are,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “The challenge is in front of us, and the opportunity is in front of us also.”

The Angels never trailed Texas after Guerrero’s two-out solo homer in the first. It was 8-0 after his 36th homer, a three-run shot in the sixth.

“I’m not trying to win the MVP. I’m trying to play every day to win a championship,” Guerrero said.

“Right now, obviously his stroke of driving the ball is re-emerging, and that’s great to see. It’s a great time to see it,” Scioscia said. “He’s been about as consistent as any player I’ve seen from start to finish.”

Guerrero also had a homer and a double in the Angels’ 5-3 win on Monday night to start the series at Texas.

“I don’t think he has much of an approach at the plate. He just goes out there and swings,” said Angels starter Kelvin Escobar, the beneficiary Tuesday. “I don’t think you can do much against him. You can make him look stupid on one pitch, and he’ll hit it out of the park on the next pitch.”

Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero follows through on a run-scoring double. Guerrero went 4-for-5 with two home runs in the Angels' 8-2 victory over Texas on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.

Escobar (11-12) allowed just two runs on three hits over six innings to win for the first time in four starts against Texas this season. He struck out three and walked one.

Garret Anderson and Dallas McPherson also homered for the Angels, who have two games left in Texas before a season-ending three-game series in Oakland.

Texas, the surprise contender after four straight last-place finishes, has lost four of five since sweeping three games from the Athletics last week.

“The chances are remote, but we still have a chance,” shortstop Michael Young said.

“We’re not going to give in. It’s late in the season, and we’re still grinding,” manager Buck Showalter said. “In a couple of days, we all might be surprised as to what’s happened.”

Guerrero, hitting .333 in his first Anaheim season after spending his first seven seasons in Montreal, has 121 RBIs and 120 runs. Don Baylor is the only other Angel with 120 RBIs and 120 runs — in 1979, when he drove in 139 runs and scored 120 as the AL MVP.

The Angels led 1-0 after Guerrero homered in the first off Chan Ho Park.

Mariners 7, Athletics 2

Oakland, Calif. — Ichiro Suzuki had two hits to move within three of tying the single-season record, and Seattle pounded Oakland starter Tim Hudson.

The A’s fell into a first-place tie with Anaheim after the Angels won at Texas. Oakland dropped out of sole possession of first place for the first time in 54 days, since the team was a half-game behind Texas on Aug. 5. Bret Boone hit a two-run homer, and Jeremy Reed had a double among his three hits and also drove in a run. Gil Meche (7-6) won his third straight decision to beat the A’s for the first time in nine career starts. Greg Dobbs added two hits and two RBIs for Seattle (61-96), trying to avoid the club’s first 100-loss season since 1983.

Suzuki led off the game with a double to right-center, then singled to start the fifth.

Red Sox 10, Devil Rays 8 11 innings

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Boston crept closer to the New York in the AL East, beating Tampa Bay on Kevin Millar’s two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning. Boston, which clinched a playoff spot Monday night, moved within 212 games of the Yankees in the division. New York was rained out and will make up its scheduled game with Minnesota today.

Tigers 6, White Sox 4

Detroit — Eric Munson hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to lead Detroit over Chicago. Bobby Higginson reached base in all five plate appearances with a homer, double and three walks, and Omar Infante also homered for the Tigers. Paul Konerko hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning for Chicago.