ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Eric Milton turned in a fine performance and left the game to the Minnesota Twins' reliable bullpen.

	Romero

	Milton

But J.C. Romero, the fourth reliever used by manager Ron Gardenhire on Friday night, gave up a home run to Troy Glaus leading off the eighth inning as the Anaheim Angels beat Minnesota 2-1 to take a two games to one lead in the AL championship series.

It was the first run allowed by either bullpen in the series.

"The last thing I expected was to give up a home run,'' Romero said. "But we just have to go home, put this behind us and come back tomorrow.''

Romero appeared in 80 games (second-most in the AL) and became one of the league's most dominant left-handed setup men this season with a 9-2 record and 1.91 ERA. But he left a pitch up a little to Glaus -- who hit it deep to right field for a 2-1 Angels lead.

"I didn't know it was gone until it hit the seats,'' Glaus said. "For right-handers to go over there, you've got to hit it pretty good.''

Milton, who came in 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his career at Edison Field, did a masterful job of keeping the Twins in it after giving up a solo homer to Garret Anderson leading off the second inning.

After Anderson's homer, Scott Spiezio walked with one out and Shawn Wooten singled.

But Milton got the next two batters and stranded four runners over the next four innings, including Anderson after a one-out double in the sixth.

"He pitched a heck of a game,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Milton, who gave up two runs in seven innings of an 11-2 win in Game 4 of the division series against Oakland, gave up five hits in six innings. He threw 99 pitches.

So Gardenhire went to his bullpen, which many believed would be a weakness this season but wound up being one of the best in the league.

"J.C.'s been our guy in the eighth inning all season long,'' Gardenhire said. "He's faced lots of right-handed hitters. I made all the moves I thought I had to try to get through that inning.

"J.C. gets righties, lefties out. Look at the numbers, that will tell you. He just got a pitch up there, and the guy hit a home run.''

After Jacque Jones doubled to tie it at 1 in the top of the seventh, four Twins relievers got out of a jam in the bottom half and preserved the tie.

LaTroy Hawkins walked light-hitting catcher Bengie Molina to start the seventh. After a sacrifice bunt by Benji Gil, David Eckstein singled off the glove of diving second baseman Luis Rivas.

Johan Santana entered, throwing a wild pitch that allowed Eckstein to move to second.

Darin Erstad's grounder was hit right at Rivas with the infield drawn-in, and his throw barely got pinch-runner Chone Figgins at the plate.

Mike Jackson walked Tim Salmon, and Romero came in and got Anderson on a fly to deep right.

Whew.

But then came the eighth, and a 3-1 sinker to Glaus that didn't dip as much as Romero and catcher A.J. Pierzynski would've liked.

"I got behind in the count and it cost me,'' Romero said. "I don't think he hit it that well, but he's a great guy and it went out. Anybody can take anybody out if you leave the ball up in the zone.''

Pierzynski didn't think it was a bad pitch.

"You can't fault J.C.,'' he said. "He got Garret Anderson in a tough situation the inning before. We just couldn't score any runs. Usually that pitch doesn't leave the park, but tonight it did.''

Twins closer Eddie Guardado told Romero, who's been groomed as his replacement, not to worry.

"That's not the last home run you're going to give up,'' Guardado said. "We've all been there, man. That's baseball.''

Though his effort went for naught, Milton wasn't upset.

"Bottom line, we lost the baseball game,'' he said. "But we've got 'em again tomorrow.''