Angels 8, Tigers 6
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels hit a season-high five home runs to defeat the Detroit Tigers 8-6 on Saturday night in front of 40,369 at Angel Stadium.
Center fielder Mike Trout hit his 12th homer of the season and designated hitter Albert Pujols added his 11th of the year and the 531st of his career. Left fielder Matt Joyce, right fielder Kole Calhoun and catcher Carlos Perez also homered.
The Angels posted their third consecutive victory and their fourth in five games while extending the Tigers' losing stretch to three straight and six of eight.
Right-hander Jered Weaver (4-4) picked up his fourth win in five starts. He retired 10 of 11 batters between the fourth and seventh innings, induced seven groundouts and issued no walks in 6 1/3 innings while striking out three, hitting one and giving up three runs and nine hits.
Trailing 7-3 in the top of the eighth inning, the Tigers scored twice and brought the potential tying run to the plate.
Right fielder J.D. Martinez doubled off the right-field wall to send left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to third base. Designated hitter Tyler Collins grounded out to bring Cespedes home, and catcher James McCann doubled down the left-field line to score Martinez.
But Angels right-hander Joe Smith defused the threat by inducing third baseman Nick Castellanos to break his bat while grounding out. Perez hit a run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth to give Los Angeles a three-run lead.
However, Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler hit his first home run of the season with two outs in the top of the ninth off right-handed closer Huston Street to draw Detroit again within two runs. But Street got first baseman Miguel Cabrera to fly out to Calhoun to end the game and claim his 16th save.
The Angels used solo home runs from Trout and Calhoun in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead.
Trout hit his 12th homer of the season by sending a 3-2 fastball from right-hander Shane Greene into the rock formation. Calhoun hit his fifth by propelling another fastball into the right-field bleachers.
Cespedes tied the score in the second by hitting his seventh home run of the season off Weaver.
Martinez followed with a single to left and took second base when Joyce let the ball ricochet off his glove. But Weaver struck out Collins, got McCann to fly out and struck out Castellanos.
Los Angeles responded in the bottom of the second with three more home runs to build a 7-1 advantage. Joyce and Perez hit back-to-back solo homers, then Pujols contributed a high-arching shot down the left-field line for a three-run drive, his 11th home run this season and the 531st of his career.
Pujols needs three more home runs to tie Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx for 17th place all time.
According to STATS, the game marked the first time in team history that the Angels hit five home runs in the first two innings.
Greene (4-4), who allowed all five homers, lasted just 1 2/3 innings. Before Saturday night, Greene permitted just three home runs all season.
Detroit narrowed its deficit when Cabrera hit a run-scoring double in the third and Castellanos added a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Meanwhile, right-hander Alex Wilson quieted the Angels.
Wilson pitched 3 2/3 innings of perfect relief, inducing groundouts from eight of the 11 batters he faced.
NOTES: The right-field video board showed Game 7 of the NHL's Western Conference finals between the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks before the game. The game, won by the Bulls, took place at the Honda Center, across the street from Angels Stadium. ... Detroit had lost 11 of its past 12 games in Anaheim and has been out-scored 60-18 in those contests going into Saturday night's game. ... Tigers RHP Bruce Rondon pitched two-thirds of an inning in a rehabilitation appearance for Triple-A Toledo on Friday night. Rondon allowed three runs and three hits. ... Detroit RHP Justin Verlander is scheduled to make a rehabilitation appearance Sunday for Triple-A Toledo. ... Los Angeles SS Erick Aybar was not in the starting lineup for second consecutive game because of tight left hamstring he sustained Thursday night. INF Grant Green started at shortstop. ... The Angels recalled 1B Efren Navarro from Triple-A Salt Lake and optioned RHP Vinnie Pestano to the same club. ... Los Angeles also signed free-agent pitchers Cesar Melendez and Geovanny Acosta to minor-league contracts.