Trout, Pujols homer while Angels beat Reds 9-2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Mike Trout and Albert Pujols are having milestone seasons, even if the Los Angeles Angels are having a forgettable one.
Trout and Pujols each hit one of the Angels' five home runs, and Los Angeles beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 on Monday night.
Trout went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs, joining Alex Rodriguez as one of two players to score 100 runs five times before his age-25 season. He was one of four players to come a triple shy of the cycle.
Pujols hit his 586th homer, tying Frank Robinson for ninth on the career list.
"It's obviously special," Trout said. "I'm very fortunate to play with Albert, be in the same clubhouse as him. Just looking at his career, just being in the same sentence with him, it's unbelievable."
Kole Calhoun was also a triple shy of the cycle, and C.J. Cron homered among his three hits for the Angels.
Matt Shoemaker (9-13) allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings. After giving up a two-run homer to Joey Votto in the first, Shoemaker settled in to win his third straight decision.
"As the game went on, he really got a feel for pitching in to some of the lefties," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "One pitch that was hit out of the park early in the game, but he buckled down after that and got into the game."
Trout scored his 100th run on an RBI single by Pujols in the third inning. It was Pujols' 1,801st RBI, and he's now 11 shy of tying Frank Robinson at 20th on the career list.
Dan Straily (10-7) was then chased from the game after giving up a two-run homer to Cron and another home run to Jefry Marte two batters later. Straily was charged with seven runs and eight hits, walked one and struck out three in 2 2/3 innings.
"We've talked a lot about the deception he has, and that wasn't the case tonight," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "A very unusual night for Dan. He threw strikes, tested hitters in the zone, and they were on him. Dan hasn't really had a game like that for us this year, but he'll get right back on the beam next time."
Straily struggled with all of his pitches, unable to throw strikes from the start.
"I just didn't have it tonight," Straily said. "Whatever I threw, they seemed to hit it well."
Calhoun led off the fourth with a solo homer to right off Alfredo Simon to bring the Angels' home run tally to five and put them ahead 8-2.
Trout and Pujols hit back-to-back home runs in the first to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. Trout hit a two-run homer and Pujols followed with a solo shot to left.
Reds shortstop Jose Peraza was removed from the game in the third inning with a facial contusion. An errant pickoff throw by Shoemaker missed Cron's glove at first base and hit Peraza in the face. Zack Cozart was inserted as a pinch-runner and remained in the game at shortstop. Price said Peraza, who didn't talk to media after the game, didn't have a concussion but will need to undergo dental examinations to check for chipped teeth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 3B Yunel Escobar has been cleared to resume baseball activities and will likely re-join the team this weekend. Escobar was placed on the seven-day concussion list on Aug. 20.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Tim Adleman will make his third start since being promoted on Aug. 16. Adleman is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in six major league starts.
Angels: RHP Jered Weaver won his first game since July 17 in his last start in Toronto, allowing two runs (one unearned) on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Weaver is 9-11 with a 5.31 ERA and has pitched against the Reds only once in his career, on opening day in 2013.