Angels 11, Tigers 6: Howie Kendrick homered twice and Albert Pujols also went deep as visiting Los Angeles pounded Detroit in the opener of a three-game series.
Kendrick hit two-run shots in consecutive innings for his sixth career multi-homer game, and Pujols knocked in three with his 497th career homer. Jered Weaver (1-2) limited Detroit to one run on three hits over six innings as the Angels won their 10th straight meeting with the Tigers.
Ian Kinsler went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to pace Detroit's offense. Tigers starter Drew Smyly (1-1) was roughed up for four runs and six hits in three innings, and reliever Luke Putkonen was tagged for seven runs in his two innings of work.
Ian Stewart, a late addition to the lineup when David Freese (quad) was scratched, finished a homer short of the cycle and knocked in a run with an RBI triple in the second. Kendrick's first blast made it 4-0, and after Torii Hunter's RBI single cut into the lead in the bottom of the third, Mike Trout doubled home two runs and Kendrick went deep again in the four-run fourth.
Pujols' three-run blast in the sixth made it 11-1 before the Tigers made some noise in the seventh. Kinsler started a five-run rally with a two-run single, but Detroit couldn't pull any closer in the final two frames.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Angels have hit an MLB-best 27 home runs, three more than they had all of last April and the most in franchise history through 16 games. … Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-4 and is 6-for-36 over his last nine games. … Los Angeles has recorded 10 or more extra-base hits in two of its past five games.
LA Angels | Detroit | |
Jered Weaver | Player | Drew Smyly |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 3.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 2 |
3 | Hits | 6 |
1.50 | ERA | 12.00 |
LA Angels | Detroit | |
Ian Stewart | Player | Ian Kinsler |
3 | Hits | 3 |
1 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 3 |
.750 | Avg | .600 |