Meyer helps Angels blank Blue Jays
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Rookie Alex Meyer combined with four relievers on a shutout as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Sunday at Angel Stadium.
Meyer (1-3) scattered two hits and three walks in five shutout innings while amassing a career-high seven strikeouts and throwing 79 pitches. The right-hander came to the Angels with fellow pitcher Ricky Nolasco from the Minnesota Twins in a four-player transaction at the trading deadline for left-hander Hector Santiago.
The Angels' pitchers combined to concede just four hits and collect 12 strikeouts.
With the win, Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia surpasses Hall of Famer Earl Weaver in career victories. Scioscia moved into 23rd place with his 1,481st win.
The Blue Jays' Devon Travis extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games. But Toronto fell out of a tie for the first wild-card spot with the Baltimore Orioles, and lead the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners by two games in the race for the second berth.
Right-hander Marcus Stroman suffered his fourth successive loss. In six innings, Stroman (9-9) allowed two runs, seven hits and two walks while registering three strikeouts and inducing 11 groundouts.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the second after loading the bases with one out. Albert Pujols walked, Andrelton Simmons hit into a fielder's choice and Rafael Ortega reached base when home-plate umpire C.B. Bucknor called catcher Dioner Navarro for interference when Ortega tried to bunt.
Juan Graterol, making just his second major-league start, earned his second RBI when his grounder to second baseman Devon Travis scored Pujols. Simmons and Ortega advanced into scoring position but Stroman ended the threat by striking out Cliff Pennington.
Toronto put the potential tying run at third base in the top of the third with one out. After Kevin Pillar walked, Travis dumped a hit-and-run single to short right field that sent Pillar to third. But Meyer defused the threat by getting Josh Donaldson to hit into a double play.
The Blue Jays again put the potential tying run in scoring position in the fourth, when Edwin Encarnacion began the inning with a double to left field. But an unusual play proved costly.
Jose Bautista followed with a ground ball that ricocheted off Meyer's glove as Meyer was following through on his delivery. The ball knocked Meyer's glove off his hand and deflected to second baseman Pennington, who threw out Encarnacion as he tried to advance to third.
The Angels added a run in the fifth. Mike Trout doubled down the right-field line and slid home when Pujols lined a single to right field.
Then in the seventh, the hosts turned two singles, two walks and a sacrifice fly into two more runs. Trout scored on C.J. Cron's sacrifice fly and Pujols came home on Ortega's bloop single. Left fielder Michael Saunders tried to make a one-handed catch on Ortega's short fly ball while sliding on his knees but trapped it.
An infestation of bees near first base delayed play for 13 minutes in the bottom of the third inning.
NOTES: Toronto 2B Devon Travis' 15-game hitting streak entering Sunday is the longest on his team and the American League's second-longest active streak. ... Los Angeles CF Mike Trout tied Sandy Alomar Sr. for sixth place on the team's career stolen base list with his 26th steal of the season on Saturday night. Trout and Alomar each have 139 steals. ... The Angels have grounded into 142 double plays, which leads the major leagues.