Blue Jays 5 - 6 Angels
Final/14
  for this game

Izturis helps Angels down Jays in 14 innings

Apr 10, 2011 - 6:58 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Maicer Izturis singled in Peter Bourjos in the 14th inning to send the Angels to a wild 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Izturis, who knocked in two runs, was one of three Los Angeles players to have three hits. Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter also had three hits apiece as the Angels won for the third time in four games.

The Angels used nine pitchers, the last of whom was Dan Haren (2-0), who made his first relief appearance since October 3, 2004. He threw one inning to get the victory.

"Our pitchers did a terrific job and they managed to get out of some stuff," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We got a key hit from Izzy and what Dan Haren did is what he's all about. He's all about the team. He's a special player."

"I felt great out there," Haren said. "It was weird running in (from the bullpen). Everyone hopes it doesn't happen again. I may get bumped a day, maybe two."

Toronto, which had 13 hits, three fewer than the Angels, got three hits and a pair of runs scored from John McDonald. However, the Blue Jays went 3-for-23 with men in scoring position and left 18 runners on base.

"Tough game, we created numerous opportunities, but we couldn't come up with the big hit," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "Our bullpen was great, but tough loss."

The Blue Jays thought they moved ahead in the 13th, but third base umpire Bob Davidson took the run away.

Adam Lind singled and pinch-hitter Yunel Escobar walked to begin the frame. With two outs and runners on second and third, Edwin Encarnacion grounded a ball that was barehanded by Alberto Callaspo. The throw across the diamond pulled first baseman Mark Trumbo off the bag and the Blue Jays went in front. However, Davidson ruled Encarnacion interfered and the game went to the bottom of the inning still tied.

The Angels had runners at the corners with nobody out in the bottom half, but failed to score. Vernon Wells lined out to short left field, where Travis Snider made a sliding catch. Hunter was doubled off first base. Callaspo was intentionally walked and tried to steal second, but was caught in a rundown. That's when Abreu broke for home, but he was nailed at the plate.

Jon Rauch (0-1) fanned the first two batters in the bottom of the 14th, but Bourjos doubled over the head of Snider. Izturis then singled to right field and the throw home was too high, finishing the five-hour marathon.

The Angels grabbed the early lead on Howie Kendrick's fourth homer of the season, a shot to left-center with one out in the first inning.

Lind scored on Snider's groundout in the second and the Blue Jays went ahead in the next inning on Lind's sacrifice fly.

An RBI double from Izturis and run-scoring single from Abreu gave Los Angeles the lead back in the bottom of the frame. Abreu came home on a Wells base hit. Hunter tried to score on the same play, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The see-saw battle continued in the fourth with the Blue Jays getting a two- run single from Rajai Davis and a run-scoring hit from Aaron Hill, but the 5-4 lead didn't even last through the inning. Callaspo singled to start the bottom half and scored on a sacrifice fly from Bourjos.

J.P. Arencibia tripled in the top of the fifth, but couldn't score. The Blue Jays had at least one runner in scoring position the next two innings, but also came up empty. Two more men reached base in the Toronto ninth and 10th, but the score remained deadlocked.

Both teams had chances to score with the bases full moving forward. The Angels filled the bases in the 11th, but pinch-hitter Hank Conger bounced into a force out at home. Jeff Mathis then struck out to end the threat.

Jose Bautista then flied out to leave three men on base in the top of the 12th.

Game Notes

Kendrick has hit in every game this season, while Lind has a 14-game string going back to the 2010 campaign...The Angels left eight men on base...Toronto starting pitcher Brett Cecil allowed 10 hits and five runs through six innings, while the Angels' Matt Palmer also gave up 10 hits and five runs -- four earned -- before leaving with two outs in the fifth.






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