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Playoff-hopeful Angels beat Blue Jays; Haren hit by line drive

Sep 22, 2011 - 5:22 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - With time running out in the chase for a possible playoff berth, Dan Haren put the Angels on his back Wednesday night against the Blue Jays. That was until he was hit on his left wrist with a line drive to end the eighth inning.

Haren secured his first road win since late July and Vernon Wells belted a two-run homer and added a two-RBI single, as Los Angeles beat Toronto, 7-2, at Rogers Centre.

The Angels, in a quest for their fourth playoff berth in five years, climbed within 2 1/2 games of the Red Sox for the lead in the wild card standings as Boston lost at home against Baltimore. LA is tied with Tampa Bay in the wild card race.

"We can control one thing, us winning," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Hopefully that help will come."

Haren (16-9), who allowed just four hits, was removed after being hit by a line drive on his left wrist off the bat of Eric Thames. The ball deflected to second baseman Maicer Izturis, who threw to first for the out. Haren tumbled to the ground in pain and was replaced by Hisanori Takahashi in the ninth inning.

Scioscia said Haren has a bruised wrist.

"Hopefully the wrist will improve," the manager said. "The next couple of days he'll get some treatment on it and be ready to go for his next start. We'll evaluate that as the next day or two go on."

Haren equaled his career-high in victories from 2008 with Arizona. The right- hander also snapped a five-start winless stretch on the road, winning outside Anaheim for the first time since July 30 at Detroit.

Peter Bourjos homered, tripled and singled for Los Angeles, which has just seven games remaining, including three at home with the Rangers to conclude the season. Texas holds a five-game lead on the Angels in the AL West.

Dustin McGowan (0-1) fanned eight batters and allowed five hits and two runs over five innings in the third contest of this four-game set.

Thames homered in the sixth inning, but the Blue Jays mustered six hits all night.

Bourjos snapped a 1-for-22 skid with a 3-for-5 performance in Tuesday's 10-6 Angels victory. He tripled to lead off the third and scored on a groundout from Izturis.

J.P. Arencibia grounded out to leave the bases loaded in the Toronto fourth.

Bourjos homered to left-center with one out in the fifth, and after loading the bases against Jesse Litsch in the sixth, Wells came through with a ground-ball single into left field for a 4-0 margin.

The Angels countered Thames' 11th homer of the year with a three-spot in the eighth, keyed by Wells' blast to center off Casey Janssen. Izturis singled in Bourjos later in the frame.

Kelly Johnson's double scored Adam Loewen in the ninth.

Game Notes

Bourjos became the first player in Angels history with 25 doubles, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 steals in a single season...The Angels are 9-5 in their last 14 games at Rogers Centre...Izturis had three hits and has multi-hit efforts in nine of his last 15 starts.