Angels rally then have to hang on to beat White Sox, 12-9

The Angels may be constructed to win games like these, slugfests in which the offense outhits their pitching deficiencies, but that blueprint seems built more for stress than long-term success.

A late six-run lead almost wasn’t enough Saturday for the Angels, who were torched for five runs in the eighth inning, needed a four-out save from closer Ernesto Frieri and two breathing-room runs in the eighth to sweat out a 12-9 victory over the Chicago White Sox in Angel Stadium.

Alberto Callaspo drove in five runs, highlighting a five-run seventh inning with a three-run home run, and Mark Trumbo hit a home run in the fourth, a run-scoring double in the fifth and scored three runs to help the Angels overcome a 4-0, fourth-inning deficit and end a losing streak at three games.

BOX SCORE: Angels 12, White Sox 9

“No win is ugly,” Albert Pujols said after a 3-hour 50-minute game that featured 29 hits, 12 walks, 21 strikeouts and three hit batters. “We haven’t been swinging the bats well. To be able to put some runs on the board and give the pitchers some room, that’s important.”

In between another rocky four-run start by winless right-hander Joe Blanton, who allowed 15 baserunners on 11 hits, two walks and two hit batters in 41/3 innings, and a shaky relief effort by Garrett Richards, who was tagged for four runs in the eighth, the Angels actually got some solid pitching.

Robert Coello, featuring an out-pitch that is part forkball and part knuckleball, replaced Blanton with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth and struck out No. 2 hitter Alexei Ramirez and No. 3 batter Alex Rios to keep the game at 4-3.

After consecutive doubles by Pujols and Trumbo and Callaspo’s sacrifice fly gave the Angels a 5-4 lead in the fifth, Coello retired the side in order in the sixth, and Dane De La Rosa pitched a scoreless seventh.

“Coello came in and got five huge outs,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’re going to need those kinds of contributions from our bullpen, and I think as guys like Sean Burnett, Kevin Jepsen and Ryan Madson come back [from injury], they’ll provide that.”

The Angels rallied with two outs in the seventh when Trumbo walked, Howie Kendrick singled and Callaspo hit a three-run home run against reliever Donnie Veal just inside the left-field foul pole for an 8-4 lead.

Josh Hamilton, who entered as a defensive replacement in the seventh, singled to center field, Chris Iannetta walked and both scored on J.B. Shuck’s double to right-center field that made it 10-4.

But the Angels, for whom no lead seems safe, made a game of it in the eighth. Ramirez and Jeff Keppinger reached on infield singles against Richards, and Paul Konerko and Dayan Viciedo hit run-scoring singles to make it 10-6.

With two on and two outs, Scioscia summoned Frieri, who gave up a long three-run home run to right-center field by Hector Gimenez that made it 10-9.

Frieri got Tyler Greene to fly out to end the inning, and the Angels scored two huge insurance runs in the bottom of the inning when Trout walked, Pujols stroked a run-and-hit single to right field, Kendrick hit a run-scoring double to right field and Callaspo hit a sacrifice fly.

Frieri struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save, the third in which has had to get more than three outs.

“That’s not what we prefer, but a four-out save is something he’s capable of and something we needed this afternoon,” Scioscia said. “I’d prefer we score 20 runs and not use him at all.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

twitter.com/MikeDiGiovanna