Torii Hunter hits the wall in Angels’ victory

Torii Hunter’s rib cage was extremely sore after Wednesday night’s game, in which he was knocked out by a violent fifth-inning crash into the wall, but the Angels right fielder was still smiling and joking with teammates and reporters.

“I’d be in a lot more pain if we lost,” Hunter said after the Angels pulled out a wild 6-5, 10-inning victory against the Florida Marlins in Sun Life Stadium. “Right now, I’m on a good muscle relaxant, and I’m kind of high. I feel good.”

He was in agony a few hours earlier after crashing into the wall while making a superb leaping catch of Gaby Sanchez’s drive in the fifth.

Hunter, whose left shoulder bore the brunt of the impact, crumpled onto the warning track and was down for four minutes, writhing in pain and clutching outfielder Vernon Wells’ ankle.

“My elbow drove into my ribs and knocked the wind out of me,” Hunter said. “I felt a knot in my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. My whole insides shook.”

Hunter eventually walked off the field. He was diagnosed with a bruised rib, and X-rays were negative, ruling out a fracture.

“He’ll probably miss a few games,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “But it won’t keep him out for an extended period of time.”

Hunter was part of a four-run, third-inning rally that opened with Maicer Izturis’ home run, Erick Aybar’s double, Hunter’s RBI double and Bobby Abreu’s two-run homer, his first hit on a 3-and-0 pitch since 1999.

The last time the Angels had four extra-base hits to open an inning was May 11, 1977, when Bobby Bonds, Don Baylor and Ron Jackson homered and Bobby Grich doubled in the second inning against Baltimore.

But the Angels managed one hit over the next four innings, and the Marlins tied the score, 4-4, with two runs in the fourth and Hanley Ramirez’s two-out RBI single in the seventh.

Mark Trumbo, who struck out with runners on second and third and one out in the second and popped to first with a runner on third and one out in the third, hit a two-out double in the seventh and scored on Hank Conger’s single to make it 5-4.

With runners on first and third and one out in the eighth, Scioscia summoned closer Jordan Walden to try for a five-out save. Dewayne Wise smacked Walden’s first pitch to center for an RBI single and a 5-5 tie, but Walden got out of the inning by getting Emilio Bonifacio to ground into a double play.

Abreu walked to open the 10th, took second on Wells’ groundout, and after Howie Kendrick struck out, Trumbo hit a sharp bouncer up the middle that took a bad hop and went over the shoulder of Ramirez, the Marlins shortstop, for a single that scored Abreu.

“It was hit hard,” Trumbo said, “but as good as he is, he probably makes the play.”

Trumbo took second on the throw home, and when he got there, Ramirez marveled at the topspin Trumbo got on his grounder.

“His exact quote,” Trumbo said, “was, ‘Teach me how to do that.’ He’s pretty cool.”

Reliever Michael Kohn, recalled from triple A Monday, retired the side in order in the bottom of the 10th to save Walden’s first big league win.

The Angels, now 4-9 in extra-inning games, used six pitchers and 12 position players. The Marlins used seven pitchers and 12 position players. Scioscia made two double switches, and when the game ended, third catcher Bobby Wilson was the only player left.

“All the maneuvering was fun,” Scioscia said, “but it was getting to the point where it wasn’t going to be fun if we had to make any more moves.”

The Angels returned to Southern California on Wednesday night for the final leg of their “Four Corners” trip to Seattle, New York, Florida and Los Angeles having traveled 6,800 miles and gone 6-3, winning two of three from the Mariners, Mets and Marlins.

“All in all,” Hunter said, “it’s been a pretty good trip.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com