HRs By Wells, Trumbo Lead Angels Over Twins
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Vernon Wells hit a tiebreaking solo homer, Mark Trumbo hit his first career grand slam and Peter Bourjos also went deep, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 10-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night.
Jered Weaver (16-7) tied a career high for wins, despite allowing six runs and eight hits over five innings and throwing 111 pitches a day after attending his grandfather's funeral in Oregon. His AL-best 2.28 ERA ballooned to 2.49 after he surrendered six or more runs for the third time in his last five starts -- after allowing no more than four in any of his first 24 outings.
The All-Star right-hander pitched on an extra day's rest, after making his previous start on three days' rest for the first time in his six-year career and giving up seven runs over six innings in a 9-5 loss at Texas. It was Weaver's third start since he agreed to a five-year, $85 million contract extension.
The victory, coupled with Texas' 12-7 loss at Boston, pulled the Angels within 3 1/2 games of the Rangers in the AL West race with 23 remaining -- including a season-ending three-game series against Texas in Anaheim.
Trevor Plouffe hit a tying three-run double and Danny Valencia homered for the Twins, who have lost 21 of their last 28 games. Last year's AL Central champs are a season-worst 18 1/2 games out of first place and 22 games under .500.
Wells tried to score behind Torii Hunter on Erick Aybar's bases-loaded RBI single in the third, and was thrown out by right fielder Michael Cuddyer to end the inning with the Angels leading 6-3.
But Wells was able to trot around the bases in the fifth on his 19th homer, which came against Phil Dumatrait (1-3) and gave Los Angeles a 7-6 lead. The ball struck the top of the center-field fence and bounced over, as Ben Revere reached for the ball but didn't jump. Revere did make a leaping attempt on Bourjos' leadoff drive to left-center in the sixth off Dumatrait, but the ball cleared the fence by plenty and triggered a three-run rally that included Wells' RBI single.
Trumbo, who leads all rookies with 25 homers, made a mistake in the fourth that led to three runs and enabled the Twins to tie it at 6.
Trumbo fielded Revere's one-out grounder a couple of feet from the bag with runners at the corners and quickly threw to the plate, instead of going for a potential inning-ending 3-6-3 double play. Tsuyoshi Nishioka retreated to third, leaving the bases loaded.
Plouffe then drove a 3-1 pitch toward the left-field corner with Wells overshifted toward the alley, and all three runners scored.
Twins left-hander Brian Duensing lasted only 37 pitches, leaving with an oblique strain on his right side while pitching to Bourjos with one out and a runner at second. Duensing was charged with five runs and four hits, one of the runs coming on Alberto Callaspo's double against right-hander Lester Oliveros, who inherited a 1-1 count on Bourjos and struck him out.
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