Associated Press
Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Staring at a seven-run deficit with Seattle’s Felix Hernandez on the mound Thursday night, the Los Angeles Angels could have been excused for starting to think about the weekend.
Instead, the Angels chipped, scrapped, surged, charged — and eventually eked out a stunning victory.
Alberto Callaspo drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Angels rallied from that huge early deficit for a 10-9 victory over the Mariners.
Mike Trout matched his season high with four hits for the Angels, who trailed 8-1 after four innings. Peter Bourjos homered and had three hits, and he scored the tying run in the eighth during Los Angeles’ final rally for its sixth win in eight games.
Nearly everybody in the Angels’ lineup contributed to their monumental comeback, the second-largest in club history. After three months of mostly discouraging play, Los Angeles is on a decent roll — but nobody expects a rally like this one.
“It’s a great effort from our club,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You’re very rarely going to get down that much to a pitcher of Felix’s caliber and come back. Our guys just did a great job. You just couldn’t piece it together any better than they did.”
All of the good feelings in Los Angeles’ clubhouse were matched by the gloom in Seattle, which dropped three of four in the series.
Kyle Seager matched his career high with four hits and drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth during a gut-wrenching loss for the Mariners, who couldn’t protect a huge lead even with Hernandez on the mound.
“Tonight was exciting, just going back and forth the whole night,” Trout said. “We got down seven (runs) early, and we just kept scratching out runs. We were just having fun. The excitement is there. We’re all into the game.”
Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer while the Angels tied a single-game club record with seven consecutive hits during a five-run fifth inning. Albert Pujols had two hits and drove in the tying run on a broken-bat single in the sixth.
“I just blew the lead,” said Hernandez, who yielded 12 hits and seven runs in five innings. “It’s all my fault. Nobody else. Just me. There’s no excuses. Actually, my fastball was fine, but I left the pitches up a little bit. They were being aggressive, and they scored some runs. There were a lot of broken-bat base hits, but it was my fault. But I’m not thinking about it.”
Seager had a homer and two doubles during the first four-hit game by a Seattle player this season. Josh Hamilton couldn’t catch his sinking liner to right in the eighth, and Brendan Ryan scored to put Seattle up 9-8.
But Bourjos singled, stole second, advanced on a throwing error and tied it on Erick Aybar’s RBI single off Carter Capps (2-2). Seattle walked Trumbo to load the bases with one out, and Ryan made a diving stop to force out Trout at the plate before Yoervis Medina walked Callaspo on four pitches.
“It’s a tough game from an emotional standpoint,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “You take that big lead and do a lot of good things, and then you give it back. I was proud that we fought back and scored a run and took the lead back, but they fought right back, too. That’s why you play for nine innings, man. The bullpen just didn’t quite get it done. Obviously, we had to go to them early.”
Ernesto Frieri pitched the ninth for his 17th save. Scott Downs (1-2) gave up Seager’s double, but also got one out in the eighth.
Tommy Hanson yielded six hits and seven runs during the second-shortest start of his career, getting chased by Seattle without getting an out in the third.
But Hernandez couldn’t finish despite having a 3-0 lead before he took the mound and an 8-1 advantage in the third. Trout had three hits off King Felix, improving to 14 for 30 in his short career against Seattle’s star right-hander.
“Every now and again, you see that he is human,” Wedge said. “He was king of all over the place tonight.”
The Angels trailed 8-2 when Bourjos led off the fifth with his third homer of the season. The speedy outfielder hadn’t homered since April 15 after missing 38 games with a hamstring injury.
The next six Angels also got hits, with Pujols driving in a run before Trumbo cleared the bases with a homer off the fake rock pile in center field.
Danny Farquhar intentionally walked Trout in the sixth to get to Pujols, who poked a broken-bat single into center to score Bourjos with the tying run.
TIGERS 4, RED SOX 3
DETROIT — Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer off Andrew Bailey in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Boston led 3-2 when Victor Martinez drew a leadoff walk off Bailey (3-1), and Peralta followed with a line drive over the fence in left field for his seventh homer of the year.
David Ortiz homered and drove in a tiebreaking run with an eighth-inning single to put Boston up, but Drew Smyly (3-0) replaced Phil Coke for Detroit and prevented any further scoring by the Red Sox. He struck out four in two innings of relief.
RANGERS 4, ATHLETICS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Ian Kinsler put Texas ahead for the first time with a two-run single in the seventh and the Rangers held on for a series-clinching victory over AL West-leading Oakland.
Texas pulled within a game of the Athletics by winning three times in the four-game series.
Kinsler came to the plate right after Leonys Martin’s hustling infield single, getting to first base ahead of Sean Doolittle (3-2) when the pitcher was taking the toss from first baseman Brandon Moss. That loaded the bases with two outs, and Kinsler hit a full-count pitch through the middle of the infield.
The game ended when Josh Donaldson was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on Seth Smith’s single to center.
Tanner Scheppers (5-0), the fourth reliever after starter Josh Lindblom, worked 1 2-3 scoreless innings before Nathan struck out two in the ninth and got his 22nd save in 23 chances.
RAYS 8, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK — Evan Longoria homered twice and drove in three runs, and Matt Moore ended a personal three-game skid in Tampa Bay’s victory over New York.
Longoria reached 500 career RBIs with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. He homered against Andy Pettitte (5-5) leading off the sixth and connected off Joba Chamberlain to open the eighth.
Yunel Escobar hit a two-run shot off Boone Logan later in the eighth. Tampa Bay had 14 hits after totaling 15 in a 6-2 win over Boston on Wednesday night.
Moore (9-3) pitched into the seventh inning and gave up three runs.
TWINS 8, WHITE SOX 4
MINNEAPOLIS — Brian Dozier’s two-run homer was one of a career-high four long balls hit off Chicago starter John Danks, and Minnesota finished their first three-game sweep of the season and their first over White Sox in three years.
Oswaldo Arcia went deep in the second inning ahead of Dozier. Clete Thomas and Eduardo Escobar hit back-to-back shots in the fourth, sending the White Sox to their seventh defeat in the last eight games. They fell to a league-worst 13-27 on the road and 5-13 overall in June.
Danks (1-4) lasted only five innings, giving up 12 hits and six runs. Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn hit consecutive home runs against Scott Diamond (5-6) in the sixth inning, but that wasn’t nearly enough.
ANGELS 10, MARINERS 9
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Alberto Callaspo drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the eighth inning, and Los Angeles rallied from an early seven-run deficit to hand Seattle a gut-wrenching loss.
Mike Trout matched his season high with four hits for the Angels, who trailed 8-1 after four innings. Peter Bourjos homered and had three hits, and he scored the tying run in the eighth during Los Angeles’ final rally for its sixth win in eight games.
Kyle Seager matched his career high with four hits and drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth for the Mariners, who couldn’t protect a huge lead even with Felix Hernandez on the mound.
ASTROS 7, BREWERS 4
HOUSTON — Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to send Houston past Milwaukee.
Carlos Corporan struck out but reached on a wild pitch with one out in the 10th and J.D. Martinez followed with a double. Pena then launched the first-pitch homer off Michael Gonzalez (0-3) to the second deck in right field.
It was a sloppy game that featured six unearned runs and four errors.
Hector Ambriz (2-4) pitched a scoreless 10th to help Houston take two of three in the series.
Corporan tied it with a solo home run in the eighth.
NATIONALS 5, ROCKIES 1
WASHINGTON — Jordan Zimmermann pitched eight innings to win his 10th game, Adam LaRoche had three hits including a two-run triple and the Nationals spoiled Roy Oswalt’s return to the majors with a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night.
Ian Desmond homered for the second straight game, and Denard Span and Steve Lombardozzi added a double and a single apiece for Washington.
Zimmermann (10-3) allowed an unearned run on six hits. He retired 16 straight in one stretch, throwing 112 pitches — 85 for strikes — while fanning nine and walking one.
Oswalt (0-1) went five innings in his Colorado debut, allowing four runs on nine hits. He struck out 11 and didn’t walk a batter.
The Rockies have lost four straight and fell to .500 for the first time since April 2.
METS 4, BRAVES 3
ATLANTA — David Wright hit two solo homers, New York’s bullpen pitched five-plus scoreless innings to overcome an injury to starting pitcher Jonathon Niese in a victory over Atlanta.
Niese left the game in the fourth with left shoulder discomfort and the Mets trailing 3-2, but the Mets’ bullpen shut down Atlanta for the next 5 2-3 innings.
Closer Bobby Parnell earned his 11th save in 14 chances by facing the minimum in the ninth.
LaTroy Hawkins (2-0) earned the victory after allowing two hits and striking out two in two innings.
The Mets have won four of six, thanks in part to a bullpen that’s 1-0 with a 1.55 ERA over the last nine games.
Mike Minor (8-3) allowed nine hits, four runs and two walks in six-plus innings for Atlanta.
PADRES 6, DODGERS 3
SAN DIEGO — Pedro Ciriaco tripled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and hit a two-run homer in the eighth to lead San Diego past Los Angeles in the Dodgers’ ‘s first visit to Petco Park since the teams brawled on April 11.
The Padres, who had three terrific defensive plays, won for the eighth time in 10 games and popped above .500 for the second time this season.
Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig homered on his first swing at Petco Park, giving him six overall and three against the Padres since his big league debut on June 3.
Nick Vincent (2-0) pitched the seventh for the win.
The Dodgers, who’ve been in last place in the NL West since May 6, have lost eight of 11.
MARLINS 2, GIANTS 1
SAN FRANCISCO — Pinch-hitter Marcell Ozuna’s two-run single gave Tom Koehler his first victory in nine career starts, and Miami rallied past San Francisco.
Ozuna’s line drive to right field in the eighth inning off reliever Jeremy Affeldt (1-3) ended Koehler’s stretch of futility. After six appearances in the bullpen, Koehler (1-5) had been winless in seven starts this season — and took the loss in his lone start last year — for the worst team in the majors.
Giants starter Chad Gaudin tossed 4 1-3 scoreless innings but left the game after taking a hard line drive off his right throwing elbow. The team said he had a bruised elbow.
Joaquin Arias’ RBI triple put San Francisco up 1-0 in the seventh.
CARDINALS 6, CUBS 1
ST. LOUIS — Lance Lynn earned his 10th victory to tie for the NL lead and Matt Holliday homered and drove in two runs in St. Louis’ victory over Chicago.
Lynn (10-1) allowed a run on three hits in six innings with six strikeouts and has reached double digits in wins before the All-Star break both of his years in the rotation, going 11-4 last year and making the All-Star team. He joined teammate Adam Wainwright and Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann for the league lead.
Welington Castillo homered leading off the third for the Cubs.
Castillo’s second homer of the season and first since April 8 briefly tied it at 1 after David Freese’s run-scoring groundout off Scott Feldman (6-6) had given the Cardinals the lead.
PIRATES 5, REDS 3
CINCINNATI — Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer, bases-loaded double and single to drive in all of Pittsburgh’s runs in a victory over Cincinnati and a split of their NL Central showdown.
The Pirates remain a half-game behind second-place Cincinnati after the four-game set.
Alvarez had an RBI single and his 16th homer off Homer Bailey. After Alfredo Simon (5-3) loaded the bases in the seventh, Alvarez doubled off left-hander Tony Cingrani to snap a 2-all tie.
The five RBIs were a season high for a Pirate and one shy of Alvarez’s career high.
Bryan Morris (4-2) contributed to the go-ahead rally with his first career single. He also pitched two innings, allowing one run.