Angels top Marlins, 8-2, and pull ahead of A’s in AL West

AT THE PLATE: The Angels had six straight hits in a five-run fourth inning, David Freese’s double, singles by Efren Navarro (scoring a run), Hank Conger and Kole Calhoun (scoring Navarro), Mike Trout’s RBI double and Albert Pujols’ two-run single. Freese, Trout and Pujols led a 16-hit attack with three hits apiece. Shortstop Erick Aybar had two infield singles, giving him six straight multi-hit games and 20 hits in 42 at-bats (.476), and Conger had two hits.

ON THE MOUND: Matt Shoemaker, who threw seven shutout innings, is 8-2 with a 2.22 earned-run average in 10 games since the start of July. Jason Grilli threw a scoreless eighth, and Yoslan Herrera, recalled from triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday, gave up two runs on four hits in the ninth. Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi, a former Dodger, was rocked for six runs and 10 hits in 31/3 innings.

BANGED UP: Left fielder Josh Hamilton, slowed by tightness in the hamstring tendon behind his left knee, started at designated hitter for the second straight game. “I’ve been running at about 85%,” said Hamilton, who went 0 for 4. “That’s about as good as I can roll right now. I didn’t hurt it on any one play. It’s from traveling, sitting, getting up, getting loose, swinging a lot. It’s just wear and tear.”

REHAB REPORT: Tyler Skaggs, who underwent Tommy John surgery on Aug. 13 and will miss the 2015 season, said his elbow, which is in a brace, “feels great, it doesn’t even hurt.” But the area surrounding his left hamstring, where doctors harvested the tendon used in the elbow reconstruction, “feels terrible right now,” he said. Skaggs will soon begin range-of-motion and strengthening exercises.

EXTRA BASES: The Angels replaced left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who was designated for assignment, with Herrera, who allowed no runs and seven hits, struck out 16 and walked one in 14 innings of his last seven triple-A games. … Pitchers Trevor Gott, Dan Reynolds, Mark Sappington and Nate Smith, infielders Kaleb Cowart and Eric Stamets, and outfielders Chad Hinshaw and Cal Toway will represent the Angels in the Arizona Fall League.

UP NEXT: Left-hander Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.38 ERA) will oppose Miami right-hander Henderson Alvarez (10-5, 2.57 ERA) at Angel Stadium at 7 p.m. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 710, 830, 1220.