Angels’ Torii Hunter also cashes in against Royals
Torii Hunter made $100,000 on Sunday morning.
The Angels center fielder woke up, learned he had been selected to the All-Star game as a reserve, and that the bonus incentive in his contract had kicked in.
Perhaps that got him amped, or maybe it was just the honor of being selected to his fourth All-Star game.
Either way, Hunter hit two home runs and drove in a career-high-tying seven runs Sunday night to help beat Kansas City, 11-0, at Angel Stadium.
“You have those days sometimes when you feel good, you feel like nobody can get you out,” Hunter said. “It was a lot of fun out there today.”
A coincidence it happened on the day he was selected to the All-Star game?
“Yeah, it was just a coincidence, I guess,” he said, laughing. “I wasn’t even thinking about that.”
No, Hunter really thought about how the Royals intentionally threw at Bobby Abreu in the first inning, when right-hander Anthony Lerew threw three fastballs inside, the last one hitting Abreu on the right hand.
“They were definitely trying to hit him,” Hunter said. “I think he kind of woke up the sleeping dogs over here and these guys starting swinging the bat.”
First base umpire Jim Joyce issued a warning after Abreu was hit, which might have been in retaliation for Angels starter Ervin Santana hitting first baseman Billy Butler twice Friday.
Whether that sparked the Angles, their offense woke up after a three-game snooze in which it had scored only five runs and batted .202 (19 for 94).
It onslaught started with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Abreu in the third inning, which Hunter followed with a three-run home run to left field, giving the Angels four runs, more than in their previous 27 innings combined.
Joel Pineiro didn’t need much more support than that. By mixing up his off-speed pitches and breaking balls well, he gave up only six hits in seven innings and won his sixth consecutive start.
“I’ve just been blessed with run support and the defense behind me,” Pineiro said.
Hunter hit another homer, in the sixth, giving him 14 and his 13th career multi-homer game. He hit a two-run single in the eighth.
“He’s having an MVP-type season,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.
Even though the starters have been stellar, giving up only five earned runs in the last 29 1/3 innings, the lineup still needs help, as the team batted only .249 during a 12-game homestand.
Paul McAnulty, who joined the team Sunday after his contract was bought from triple-A Salt Lake, might be it.
In the sixth inning, he hit a two-run homer, an especially nice hit for the Oxnard native because his parents were in the stands among the announced 42,116.
“To look at him or see him walk around, you’d think he was anything but a guy that’s in the major leagues,” Scioscia said. “But when you put a bat in his hands, he knows what to do with it.”
The Angels avoided being swept at home for the first time since June 2007.
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