RECAP: Angels win on wild pitch, beat Mariners 3-2 in 10 innings
Kole Calhoun scored the winning run on a wild pitch by Tom Wilhelmsen in the 10th inning after Albert Pujols grounded into a bases-loaded double play against a five-man infield, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Sunday.
Johnny Giavotella led off the 10th with a line-drive single off the glove of Wilhelmsen (1-2). Calhoun followed with a hit-and-run single that put runners at the corners, and Mike Trout was intentionally walked for the second straight time.
Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon then motioned left fielder Dustin Ackley in for a five-man infield, and Pujols grounded into a 6-2-3 double play started by shortstop Brad Miller. But Wilhelmsen uncorked his first wild pitch of the season on a full count with runners at second and third and rookie Kyle Kubitza at the plate.
Trevor Gott (1-0) earned his first major league victory with a perfect 10th inning.
The Angels, held to one hit by Felix Hernandez over the first six innings, tied the score in the seventh with an RBI single by pinch-hitter Erick Aybar against Mark Lowe. Charlie Furbush hit David Freese with a pitch to open the inning.
Calhoun put Los Angeles ahead 2-1 in the eighth with an RBI single off Joe Beimel, but closer Huston Street gave up Kyle Seager's 12th homer in the ninth after striking out Robinson Cano and retiring Nelson Cruz. The blown save was the third in 24 opportunities this season for Street, who remains four saves shy of 300.
Angels lefty Hector Santiago retired his first 10 batters before giving up a one-out single in the fourth to Franklin Gutierrez, a walk to Cano and an RBI double by Cruz.
Hernandez issued a leadoff walk in the sixth to Calhoun, then got a visit from McClendon with a 2-0 count on Trout, who grounded into a double play on a 3-0 delivery before Pujols flied out on Hernandez's 96th and final pitch.
On his way back to the dugout, Hernandez walked over to Pujols near first base and shared a light-hearted moment. The three-time NL MVP has hit one of his 543 career homers in 45 at-bats against the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner.
Cano showed no ill effects after getting knocked out of Saturday's game. He was sitting in the dugout talking to Gutierrez before the start of the seventh inning when an errant warmup throw past first base from shortstop Taylor Featherston struck Cano in the left temple.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Rookie LHP Mike Montgomery (2-2) takes his 2.02 ERA into the opener of a two-game set at San Diego on Tuesday night, one day before his 26th birthday. He is coming off a 7-0 victory over Kansas City in which he pitched a five-hitter and struck out 10 without walking a batter in his fifth big league start.
Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson hooks up again with struggling CC Sabathia on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Yankees. Wilson gave up a season-high seven runs over 3 1-3 innings last Tuesday in a 13-3 home loss to Houston. On June 7 at Yankee Stadium, he gave up six runs and three homers in a 6-2 loss to Sabathia.
