Erick Aybar, Albert Pujols lead Angels to 9-5 win over Orioles
BALTIMORE — Erick Aybar hit a three-run triple and Albert Pujols hit a two-run home run to highlight a six-run seventh inning that led the Angels to a 9-5 come-from-behind victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Camden Yards on Wednesday.
Baltimore slugger Chris Davis snapped a 2-2 tie with his major league-leading 21st homer to center field to lead off the fourth, and Adam Jones lined a solo shot to left to lead off the sixth for a 4-2 Orioles’ lead.
But Alberto Callaspo led off the seventh with a single off Baltimore starter Jason Hammel, Brad Hawpe walked on four pitches, and the Angels caught a break when reliever Pedro Strop deflected Hank Conger’s potential double-play chopper up the middle, the ball dribbling into the infield grass for a single.
Aybar, who capped a 12-pitch at-bat in the third inning with a single, lined a three-run triple to the gap in right-center and scored when second baseman Ryan Flaherty’s relay throw got by third baseman Manny Machado for an error, giving the Angels a 6-4 lead.
J.B. Shuck drew a two-out walk, and Pujols lined a two-run homer to left, the 486th homer of his career, for an 8-4 lead. The six runs were the most the Angels have scored in the seventh inning or later all season. It was only the second time this season the Angels have scored more than five runs in an inning.
The Angels, who avoided a three-game sweep and went 2-4 on their trip to Boston and Baltimore, added an unearned run in the ninth on Josh Hamilton’s sacrifice fly.
The comeback turned Angels starter Jerome Williams, who allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one, from a potential loser into a winner, improving his record to 5-2.
Dane De La Rosa retired the side in order in the seventh, Kevin Jepsen was nicked for an unearned run in the eighth after Hamilton dropped Jones’ wind-blown fly ball in the right-field corner, and Ernesto Frieri retired the side in order in the ninth.
Baltimore scored twice in the first when Nate McLouth singled, Machado doubled and Nick Markakis and Jones hit RBI groundouts. The Angels tied the score on Conger’s solo homer to right in the third and Hamilton’s two-out single and Howie Kendrick’s RBI double to right-center in the fourth.
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