Angels falter in late innings, lose at Detroit, 5-3
DETROIT — The haunting refrain of the second half of the season played again Saturday for the Angels, their winning streak ending at four games with another squandered late lead.
Rookie Garrett Richards surrendered three eighth-inning hits, capped by a go-ahead two-run double by Detroit’s Jhonny Peralta, and the Angels lost, 5-3.
“I didn’t change my mentality,” Richards (3-3) said in reference to his first major league save a night earlier at Comerica Park. “I went after guys. The ball Peralta hit was just a little up in the zone.”
Peralta lined the pitch down the left field line, driving in Prince Fielder and Andy Dirks.
“And that was the game,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.
Alex Avila’s single against LaTroy Hawkins drove in Peralta.
Scioscia said he had little choice but to call upon Richards again because closer Ernesto Frieri and set-up man Scott Downs were unavailable because of too much recent use.
Frieri threw 43 pitches to save the Angels’ 14-13 victory in Boston on Thursday, and Downs pitched in five games since being activated from the disabled list (left shoulder strain) August 18.
The loss dropped the Angels 31/2 games out of the second and last wild-card spot in the American League.
Angels relievers have a 6.07 earned-run average in 41 games since the All-Star break (89 earned runs in 132 innings).
The Angels took a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning.
In the third inning, Vernon Wells sent a pitch from rookie left-hander Drew Smyly over the left-field wallfor his second home run in three games and 10th this season.
Angels No. 9 hitter Bobby Wilson reached on a throwing error by second baseman Omar Infante, and two outs later Howie Kendrick knocked in Wilson with a single to right field.
Kendrick, elevated to the No. 3 spot in the batting order because Alberto Pujols is nursing a calf injury, extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Kendrick has hits in 22 of his last 24 games, batting .351 during the stretch.
The Angels scored an unearned run in the fourth inning. Center fielder Austin Jackson chased down a deep fly by Kendrys Morales, but the ball glanced off his glove. Erick Aybar followed with a run-scoring double.
Right-hander Dan Haren, making his first start since August 16 after giving up a combined 10 earned runs in two previous outings, struck out six and stranded three runners in scoring position through five innings.
Detroit cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning when Infante doubled and scored on Delmon Young’s two-out double against Haren. Dirks then hit a run-scoring blooper just over shortstop Aybar in left field.
“I really wish I had got that last out,” Haren said. “I made a good pitch, but it fell in. The result of the game would be different if we catch that ball.”
Jordan Walden got the final out of the sixth inning, but gave way to Richards after giving up a one-out single in the seventh.
Richards retired three consecutive Tigers between the seventh and eighth innings before Fielder singled to start the winning rally, spoiling Scioscia’s plan to let Kevin Jepsen close the game.
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