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Angels continue homestand against Padres

May 26, 2015 - 2:05 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The L.A. Angels of Anaheim are off to a good start on their 10-game homestand and shoot for a series win over the San Diego Padres Tuesday at Angel Stadium.

The Angels needed late-game heroics from Albert Pujols in Monday's opener of this three-game set, as the slugging first baseman stroked the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Collin Cowgill came on to pinch run for Marc Krauss and hustled to third on Johnny Giavotella's base hit.

San Diego plucked closer Craig Kimbrel from the bullpen with the score tied at 3-3 and the visitors intentionally walked Mike Trout to get to Pujols. Pujols made the Padres pay with a single to left field and Cowgill easily scored.

"I was just looking for something to hit," said Pujols. "The third time around I came through."

Pujols was 1-for-5 on the night, while Matt Joyce and Carlos Perez finished with two hits and an RBI apiece. Jered Weaver pitched well over six innings and held the Padres to a run with seven strikeouts and one walk. Joe Smith threw two scoreless innings of relief for the win.

The Angels, who went 5-5 on their recent trip and will also host Detroit and Tampa Bay at the Big A, turn to Matt Shoemaker on the mound Tuesday. Shoemaker is 3-4 with a 6.29 earned run average in eight starts and is only 1-4 in his past five decisions. In Thursday's 8-4 loss at Toronto, Shoemaker was tagged for eight runs (7 earned) and eight hits in six innings.

Shoemaker has never faced the Padres and is 0-3 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts at home this season.

San Diego lost for the 10th time in the past 14 tries and Kevin Quackenbush was responsible for allowing the game-winning run to reach base.

"It was a tough decision to pitch to Mike or Albert," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Pick your poison. I went with what I thought was a good matchup. It didn't work out for us."

Tyson Ross got the start and yielded three runs, two of which were earned, and 10 hits across six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Will Venable drove in two runs during a three-run seventh inning and Yangervis Solarte finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Padres, who were coming off a big 11-3 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Justin Upton had two hits, one game after hitting a grand slam and finishing with six RBI.

Odrisamer Despaigne draws the start for San Diego and has a 2-3 record to go along with a 6.11 earned run average through nine games (5 starts). Despaigne has lost his last three appearances and pitched well in a 3-0 defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, charged with two runs in six innings.

Despaigne gave up 15 runs in his previous two starts. The right-hander has never faced the Angels and the Padres are winless (0-6) in his last six trips to the mound in any capacity.

The Padres and Angels are meeting for the first time since 2012, when San Diego took two of three games. The Halos, though, are 10-5 in the previous 15 matchups with the Friars.