After a 21 minute rain delay the Angels wasted no time in keeping their offense clicking. Mike Trout led off the game by getting hit by a Gavin Floyd pitch. Maicer Izturis followed with a ground rule double which kept Trout at third. Possibly the hottest hitter in baseball Albert Pujols, drove Trout home with a single to left. After Mark Trumbo hit into an RBI producing fielders choice, Floyd, who looked completely unprepared to pitch proceeded to then walk three straight batters with Howie Kendrick getting the easiest of RBIs on the last one. With the score 3-0, one out and bases loaded Vernon Wells did what he does best lately by striking out with Chris Iannetta doing the same.
A bottom of the first, two run home run by Kevin Youklis cut the lead to 3-2, as Ervin Santana continues to struggle, expecially with giving up the long ball. Fortunately, the 2nd inning became a microcosm of the greatness of Trout. After singling to lead off the inning, Trout advanced to 2nd on a routine grounder to short, advanced to 3rd on a sac fly from Pujols and then scored on a wild pitch. It’s true, speed kills. Though it was the bottom of the frame that had the Trout highlight that had people talking again as he made his second home run robbing catch, this time off the bat of Gordon Beckham.
After the Sox added a run in the bottom of the third, both pitchers calmed down a bit until the sixth when A.J. Pierzynski homered off Santana to cut the Angel lead to 4-3. It was the 26th homer allowed by Santana this year, so at least he can say he leads the league in something.
Taking no time to get that run back, Pujols hits his 24th home run out himself in the bottom of the 7th. In spite of a 5-3 lead though, nobody feels safe as LaTroy Hawkins relieves Santana and proceeds to give up a two run shot himself, the second home run for Youklis of the night which ties the game 5-5.
It remained tied until going to the tenth where Alberto Callaspo hit a two out double only to be driven in by a Kendrick single. Ernesto Frieri returned to his old self to close out the tenth in easy fashion and the Angels win 6-5 in a game that for a while, looked eerily similar to their last 3 losses. Now to keep it going.
The Angels will try to make it back to back as new White Sox Francisco Liriano faces Dan Haren at 11:10PT on Sunday.