Blue Jays 5 - 7 Angels
Final
  for this game

Calhoun's homer lifts Halos past Blue Jays

Aug 3, 2013 - 6:06 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Kole Calhoun's first career home run came at a perfect time for the Angels.

Calhoun clubbed a tie-breaking two-run shot as part of a three-run eighth that vaulted the LA Angels of Anaheim to a 7-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Friday in the second tilt of a four-game series at Angel Stadium.

Calhoun finished with four hits, while Chris Iannetta and Chris Nelson contributed two RBI apiece for the Angels, who had lost six straight games before taking the first two games of this set.

"Hitting in front of Mike Trout is great. I knew I was going to get some pitches to hit. I got a ball up and I just swung. I tried to put the ball in play, and good things happened," said Calhoun.

Dane De La Rosa (5-1) earned the victory after spinning a hitless eighth, while Ernesto Frieri worked around a one-out double in the ninth to secure his 26th save of the season.

Jose Reyes ripped a two-run homer and Colby Rasmus added an RBI and a run scored for the Jays, who lost for the third time in their last five games.

Toronto reliever Steve Delabar (5-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up all three runs in the decisive eighth inning.

The Blue Jays carried a 5-4 edge into the home half of the eighth before Nelson led off the frame with a double and scored when J.B. Shuck followed with a triple to right.

After Iannetta fanned, Calhoun crushed a first-pitch fastball into the seats in right field to give the Angels a two-run cushion.

"We were in position to win in the eighth, but they came back to beat us. I felt good about our one-run lead, and they lowered the boom," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.

Early on, the Blue Jays pushed a run across in the second before Maicer Izturis led off the fourth with a walk. Jose Bautista followed with a towering drive that seemed destined for the seats in left, but Shuck made a leaping grab at the wall before falling into the stands to keep the margin at 1-0.

"He hit it pretty high and I knew I had a chance to catch it. I went back to the wall and I don't know what happened after that. It was the first one I ever brought back," said Shuck.

The score wouldn't stand for long though, as Edwin Encarnacion followed with a single to left to score Izturis from first for a 2-0 lead.

The Angels answered with a trio of a two-out runs in the home half, as Erick Aybar was hit by a pitch with two outs before stealing second.

Aybar scored when Nelson followed with a single and after Shuck added a base hit of his own, Iannetta clubbed a double to left to plate Nelson and Shuck for a 3-2 lead.

LA doubled its lead in the fifth when Nelson blooped a two-out single into left field to score Howie Kendrick, who started the frame with a single.

Reyes evened things in the sixth when he followed Emilio Bonifacio's leadoff single with a drive into the seats in right-center field.

After Izturis grounded out, Bautista singled and Encarnacion walked to end LA starter Tommy Hanson's night, as Nick Maronde took over on the mound and issued a free pass to Adam Lind to load the bases.

Rasmus followed with a fielder's choice to second that scored Bautista for a 5-4 edge.

Game Notes

Toronto starter Todd Redmond allowed three runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 frames ... Hanson surrendered five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings ... It was the first four-hit game of Calhoun's career ... Encarnacion has reached base safely in 12 straight games ... LA went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.






Related News