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Chatwood, Angels surge past Mets

Jun 19, 2011 - 10:58 PM Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Fueled by a three-run triple by Erick Aybar and seven scoreless innings from Tyler Chatwood, the Angels controlled the Mets for a 7-3 victory in the rubber match of their three-game series.

Chatwood (4-4) allowed four hits and walked four, but kept New York off the scoreboard and snapped a two-start losing streak thanks to his team's potent offense.

Vernon Wells went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Jeff Mathis added a solo shot. Chatwood also singled in the sixth for his first career hit.

"That run support right there, you just know you've got to get out there and get as deep as you can, minimize the damage," Chatwood said.

He limited the damage exceptionally well, and the Angels used the twin efforts to improve to 4-2 on their road trip, which continues with a three-game set against the Marlins starting Monday.

The Mets lost for the third time in four games after starter Jon Niese (6-6) gave up five runs -- four earned -- in four-plus innings.

"Just seemed like they were on every pitch I threw," Niese said. "They kind of got to me early."

Wells hit an RBI single in the first inning, and the Angels took control in the second with a two-out rally.

After Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos opened the inning with singles, Mathis struck out and Chatwood sacrificed the runners into scoring position. Niese didn't help his cause when he hit Maicer Izturis with a pitch, and Aybar quickly took advantage of the situation.

He slapped a first-pitch fastball down the first base line and into the right field corner, clearing the bases for a 4-0 lead.

In the fifth, Aybar reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Justin Turner and scored when Torii Hunter and Wells hit consecutive singles.

D.J. Carrasco then replaced Niese and got the Mets out of the inning, but Manny Acosta couldn't hold the deficit after taking over in the sixth.

The first batter he faced, Mathis, pulled a fastball down the left field line for his second homer of the season. Wells put a solo blast just over the tall left field wall in the seventh for a 7-0 lead.

The support was more than enough for Chatwood, who escaped a few potentially dangerous situations. He got Daniel Murphy to ground into a double play with two on and one out in the first, then struck out Ruben Tejada and Niese to strand two in the second.

New York had two on with nobody out in the fifth, but Chatwood induced three consecutive fly balls to end the inning.

The Mets finally cracked the scoreboard in the ninth, when Jose Reyes hit an RBI single. Turner tacked on a run-scoring groundout and Carlos Beltran plated a run, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Scott Downs entered to record the game's final out.

Game Notes

New York went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10...The Angels won a series against the Mets for the first time since 2005, when they took two of three in Flushing...New York hosts Oakland for a three-game set starting Tuesday.