|
 Trout had a pair of homers, including a grand slam, reached base
five times and made a potentially game-saving play in the outfield,
leading the Angels to an 11-8 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target
Field.
Trout's slam in the second inning helped erase an early five-run
deficit, giving Los Angeles a 6-5 lead it would continue to build
on. His fantastic running catch in the left-center field gap to end
the Twins' third inning prevented at least two runs from scoring and
kept the Angels ahead by two runs -- until he led off the top of the
fourth with a solo homer to make it a 9-6 game.
"That's why he's the best player in the world," Angels catcher Chris
Iannetta said.
Trout finished 2-for-3 with three walks, five RBIs and three runs
scored. It was his eighth career multi-homer game and his fourth
grand slam (second this season). His 38 homers established a new
career high with two weeks remaining in the season.
"It's September, we gotta go now," Trout said. "Eighteen, 17 more
games left? Every one that we play is going to be big and we need to
win them all."
The win moved the Angels to within one game of the Twins in the
American League wild card standings and to within 2 1/2 of the
slumping Houston Astros for the second wild card spot.
"We kept pressuring them. It was an offensive night that we needed,"
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It was good to see."
Angels reliever Matt Morin earned the win pitching 1 1/3 innings of
relief of starter Hector Santiago, who did not get out of the first
inning. Closer Huston Street worked a perfect ninth for his 36th
save.
Twins right-hander A.J. Achter took the loss (0-1), allowing Trout's
grand slam in relief of starter Tommy Milone, who gave up five runs
on four hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings.
"It's embarrassing, the way I pitched out there tonight," Milone
said. "I put my teammates, the bullpen, in a bad position. Just a
matter of falling behind and having to throw strikes. You get too
much of the plate and big league hitters are going to be able to
square things up. That's what they did."
The Twins hit for the cycle in the first inning, using a single, two
doubles, a triple and a long two-run homer to post a five-spot
against Santiago.
After a strikeout to lead off the inning, Twins second baseman Brian
Dozier should have been an easy second out after he popped the ball
up in the infield. But Angels first baseman C.J. Cron and second
baseman Taylor Featherston could not find the ball, which dropped
between first base and the mound. Dozier raced into second and was
awarded a double.
"Usually they are telling the pitcher to get out of the way,"
Santiago said. "I saw it the whole way but by the time I could
react, it was too late."
Twins first baseman Joe Mauer followed with an RBI single to right
field to make it 1-0. The hit extended Mauer's streak of reaching
base safely to a career-high 37 games.
[to top of second column] |
Third baseman Trevor Plouffe walked two batters later to set up
right fielder Torii Hunter, who crushed an 0-1 offering into the
second deck in left field for his 20th homer. It was the 212th
career home run for Hunter in a Twins uniform, moving him into fifth
on the team's all-time list.
"For the most part, we've done pretty well in games where we've been
able to get out front," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "But it got
ugly. We just couldn't contain (them). It's disappointing to
squander a five-run lead like that right out of the chute."
Left fielder Eddie Rosario followed with a triple off the wall in
right center and scored on a double by catcher Kurt Suzuki, the
final blow against Santiago, who was charged with five earned runs
on five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. The start was
the shortest of his four-year big-league career (80 starts).
"They just piled on," Santiago said. "I fell behind some counts and
I don't think I was right on (after that)."
Rosario's 13th triple this season is the most by a major league
rookie since Ray Lankford had 15 for the St. Louis Cardinals in
1991.
Los Angeles scored six times in second. Milone gave up a leadoff
double to third baseman David Freese and a one-out single to catcher
Chris Iannetta, cutting into the lead at 5-1.
Back-to-back singles by Featherston and Erick Aybar loaded the bases
ahead of Kole Calhoun, who drew a walk to make it 5-2. The walk
ended Milone's night after 1 1/3 innings, but it didn't close the
book on him.
Achter fell behind 2-0 before Trout blasted a 422-foot shot over the
wall in right-center field.
NOTES: Angels INF Grant Green was available off the bench after
missing the last two weeks with soreness in his Achilles tendon. He
is hitting .190 in 42 plate appearances with Los Angeles this
season. ... Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker will throw a bullpen session
on Friday and could start Sunday if he has no setbacks. ... Twins
LHP Glen Perkins had no setbacks from a bullpen session on Wednesday
and remains on track to be available Friday. He has not pitched
since Sept. 1 because of soreness in his neck and back that required
two cortisone injections. ... The Angels and Twins will play the
second game of a four-game series on Friday at Target Field. Los
Angeles will start LHP Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.32 ERA) against
Minnesota RHP Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.09).
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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