Cron's 2nd homer gives Angels wild win over Tigers

[June 01, 2016]  ANAHEIM, Calif. -- No. 17 was the charm.
 
 The Los Angeles Angels had 16 hits through eight innings, establishing a season high. But they needed No. 17 -- a two-run homer by C.J. Cron -- in the bottom of the ninth to pull out an 11-9 win over the Detroit Tigers Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

The Angels hit the ball hard from the outset, getting home runs from Cron, Mike Trout and Jefry Marte in the first three innings and grabbing a 9-2 lead after four innings.

The Tigers, though, didn't go quietly. They made the most of their eight hits, as five of them went over the fence. The biggest was a grand slam by Ian Kinsler in the seventh inning that cut a 9-4 deficit to 9-8. Victor Martinez's homer in the eighth inning tied the game at 9-9.

However, the Angels managed to salvage the game. Albert Pujols led off the ninth with a walk off Mark Lowe (1-3). Cron followed with the walk-off shot to left field.

"Just put a good swing on it, and whatever happens, happens," Cron said of his approach at the plate in the ninth. "(Pujols) had a great at-bat ahead of me and I thought my job was to keep it rolling, and I got a good pitch to hit."

Cron admitted that winning a game after blowing a seven-run lead has a little more meaning.

"It's definitely better," he said. "Obviously you'd like to win that game 9-4 or 9-6. Our bullpen's been great all year. It was just a slip-up and in the ninth we knew all we had to do was push one across, and we did."

Marte, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier in the day, had four hits for the Angels, including a home run and a double. Trout hit a three-run homer, singled, walked twice and scored twice, and Kole Calhoun and Cliff Pennington each had three hits.

All the offense allowed Angels starter Hector Santiago the luxury of going right after hitters, which he did. He gave up six runs and three home runs (to Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez) but walked only two in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out nine, one short of a season high.

Santiago and the Angels took a seemingly comfortable seven-run lead into the sixth before giving up a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez to make it 9-4. Then in the seventh, Santiago struck out two in the inning but also walked two, the second of which resulted in his exit from the game.

"I'll tell you one thing about Hector, his stuff was there," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was throwing very well. They got two home runs early but he settled in and went through a tough lineup and really pitched well until (J.D.) Martinez hit the home run in the sixth."

Scioscia brought in reliever Cam Bedrosian, who walked Jose Iglesias to load the bases, then surrendered a grand slam to Kinsler on a full-count pitch, and suddenly it was 9-8.

Angels first baseman C.J. Cron (24) celebrates with teammates after he hit the game winning two run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Bedrosian was swiftly removed from the game, but Fernando Salas gave up a game-tying home run to Victor Martinez in the next inning.

"It was a tremendous comeback, the offense did a great job," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We're down seven runs, two-run homer, grand slam and solo shot ties it back up at 9. That's the silver lining. But when you come back from a seven-run deficit and tie it and then lose in the bottom of the ninth, it obviously stings."

Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez lasted only three innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks.

"His location's off, I don't think he's real confident on the mound right now," Ausmus said. "We're going to have to make an adjustment with Sanchez, something has to be done. We need better starts than that, he knows we need better starts than that."

Angels closer Huston Street (2-0), activated Monday from the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle, pitched a scoreless ninth inning and got the win.

NOTES: The Angels called up INF Jefry Marte from Triple-A Salt Lake and optioned INF Kaleb Cowart to Salt Lake. Marte, who started Tuesday's game at third base, was hitting .381 (16-for-42) since being sent down to Salt Lake on May 19. Cowart played in just three games for the Angels, going 1-for-6. ... Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler went into the game having hit safely in 18 of 21 games, during which time he batted .337 (29-for-86). ... Angels 3B Yunel Escobar was not in the starting lineup, still recovering from a sore left wrist. He is day-to-day. ... Tigers C James McCann was charged with his first error Monday after 139 errorless games to start his career, a major league record for a catcher. ... Angels LHP C.J. Wilson had an MRI exam on his left arm, which showed no additional damage. There is no timetable for him to resume throwing.

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