Pujols homers in Angels' 4-2 win over Mariners
SEATTLE -- Albert Pujols hit another home run and the Los Angeles bullpen pitched 7 2/3 innings after starter Matt Shoemaker went down with a scary injury as the Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Shoemaker took a line drive to the side of his head in the second inning but was alert and responsive while being taken to a local hospital mid-game. The Angels (61-75) used six relievers, allowing seven hits but just two runs from the second inning on to win the series.
Reliever Andrew Bailey, who had made his Angels debut on Friday night after being claimed off waivers from Philadelphia, picked up the save after working a scoreless ninth. It was Bailey's 90th career save but his first since 2013.
Pujols hit his 29th home run of the season during another big first inning that saw the Angels take a 2-0 lead.
Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma recovered but still ended up taking the loss, his fourth defeat in as many starts. Iwakuma (14-11) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.
Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz each homered for the Mariners, who have lost nine of 11 and missed an opportunity to pick up a game in the American League wild-card race. Seattle (69-67) trails Baltimore and Detroit, who are tied for the second wild-card spot, by five games.
Pujols went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Angels, who have won six of their last seven. Catcher Jett Bandy added three hits for Los Angeles.
The Angels got off to another fast start when back-to-back home runs from Pujols and C.J. Cron gave L.A. a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. That gave the Angels six home runs and 12 runs in the first innings of the three-game series.
Seattle had a chance in the fourth inning when a Cano single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with the bases loaded, but center fielder Leonys Martin flied out to right to end that threat, keeping the score 2-0.
Pujols added an RBI single in the top of the sixth, extending the Angels' lead to 3-0.
Seattle finally got on the board on Cano's solo home run, his 31st of the season, in the bottom of the sixth, pulling the Mariners within 3-1.
Seattle stranded a runner on third base in the bottom of the seventh, then Los Angeles tacked on a run on Andrelton Simmons' RBI single in the top of the eighth.
Simmons singled to left, scoring Mike Trout from third base for a 4-1 lead, but Pujols was thrown out after breaking for home when Cano mishandled the relay throw and eventually got Pujols at home plate.
Cruz's two-out solo homer in the bottom of the eighth closed the gap to 4-2. Cruz now has 35 home runs, five from his third consecutive 40-homer season.
Bailey pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to post the save. Los Angeles reliever Deolis Guerra, who took over for Shoemaker and pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, claimed the win to improve to 3-0 this season.
The game was delayed for several minutes after a scary second-inning incident that left Shoemaker under the care of team trainers while several teammates knelt nearby.
Shoemaker took a line drive off the bat of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager to the right side of his head. Trainers used a towel to stop the bleeding, and Shoemaker was eventually able to walk off the field as a visibly shaken Seager looked on.
The Angels announced a few innings later that Shoemaker was alert and responsive as he was being taken to a local hospital for a CT scan.
Los Angeles had double-digit hits in each of the three games in the series. Trout, Pujols and Kole Calhoun combined to go 15-for-36 with seven home runs and 13 RBIs in the series.
NOTES: Angels 3B Yunel Escobar (bruised hand) was not in the lineup Sunday. He took the first pitch of Saturday's game to the back of his left hand. X-rays were negative, and Escobar should be available at some point in the upcoming Oakland series. ... The Angels tabbed RHP Alex Meyer to start Wednesday's game against the A's. Meyer was acquired along with RHP Ricky Nolasco in the trade that sent LHP Hector Santiago to Minnesota, and he joined the Angels after the Sept. 1 roster expansion. He will take the spot in the rotation previously held by LHP Brett Oberholtzer, who struggled in the opener of the Seattle series. ... Los Angeles is scheduled to face two starters in Oakland who will be making their major league debuts. The A's have RHP Raul Alcantara listed as Monday's starter and RHP Jharel Cotton as Wednesday's starter. ... The Mariners activated RHP Drew Storen from the 15-day disabled list and recalled LHP David Rollins before Sunday's game. ... Seattle will start RHP Felix Hernandez in Monday's game against Texas. Hernandez was initially scheduled to pitch Tuesday, but the team decided over the weekend to move Monday starter James Paxton back a day so that his torn fingernail could get an extra day to heal.