Angels 5, White Sox 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It was one year ago Thursday that Garrett Richards crumpled to the ground near first base at Fenway Park, a torn patellar tendon in his left knee costing him the rest of the season and the first 11 days of this season.
Richards, though, is showing the pain and disappointment from the injury are a distant memory, the Los Angeles Angels right-hander going seven strong innings in a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.
Richards wasn't dominant, but he was good enough, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits, striking out four and walking none. He improved to 12-9 and lowered his ERA to 3.50.
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu had three hits off Richards, including an RBI double.
The Angels only had five hits in the game, but made the most of them. A two-run homer by right fielder Kole Calhoun and a solo homer by first baseman Albert Pujols in the first inning gave Richards an early 3-0 cushion that would stand up.
White Sox starter John Danks (6-10) settled in after that first inning and managed to go seven innings, giving up all five runs (four earned) on five hits and one walk.
Richards gave up consecutive singles to start the eighth inning, but reliever Joe Smith came in and worked his way through the inning, allowing one run on an RBI groundout by center fielder Adam Eaton, the run charged to Richards.
Huston Street pitched a scoreless ninth for his 29th save of the season.
With the win, the Angels moved to within 1 1/2 games of first-place Houston in the American League West, and moved one-half game ahead of Baltimore for the second wild-card spot.
The Angels jumped out to a lead in the first inning against White Sox starter John Danks. Left fielder Shane Victorino led off and was hit by a pitch, and right fielder Kole Calhoun hit Danks' next pitch over the center field fence for a 2-0 lead.
One out later, first baseman Albert Pujols homered, smacking a 76-mph curveball into the Angels' bullpen beyond the left field fence, his 33rd of the season, tying center fielder Mike Trout for the team lead and giving the Angels a 3-0 lead.
The White Sox scored an unearned run in the second inning after Calhoun misplayed a single by designated hitter Avail Garcia, allowing Garcia to take second. Garcia scored later in the inning on a groundout by shortstop Alexei Ramirez.
The White Sox gave the run back in the fourth inning when third baseman Tyler Saladino's two-out throwing error allowed Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella (double) to score from second for a 4-1 Angels lead.
NOTES: Angels 3B Kaleb Cowart was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake and was in the starting lineup batting ninth in his major league debut. Cowart, the Angels' minor league player of the month for June and July, was hitting .323 in 62 games for the Bees. To make room for Cowart, INF Conor Gillaspie was designated for assignment. Gillaspie hit .203 with one homer, nine RBIs, a .250 on-base percentage and a .344 slugging percentage in 17 games since being acquired from the White Sox on July 24. ... The White Sox released INF Emilio Bonifacio, two days after designating him for assignment to make room on the roster for OF J.B. Shuck. Bonifacio hit .167 in 47 games. ... White Sox CF Adam Eaton entered the contest hitting .321 in his previous 20 games.