Chicago, IL – Mike Trout singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the LA Angels of Anaheim edged the Chicago White Sox, 7-5, in the opener of a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field.
Trout finished the game 2-for-5 and also scored a run and Brendan Harris collected three hits, including a solo homer, and scored twice. Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and J.B Shuck each drove in one run a piece for the Angels, who have won back-to-back games for the first time since winning three straight from April 19-21.
Michael Kohn (1-0) worked a scoreless sixth inning to earn the win and Ernesto Frieri stranded a runner in the ninth to pick up his sixth save of the season.
"The bullpen had a really good performance, as we expect. We got a lead and we held it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Dayan Viciedo drove in a pair of runs, Alejandro De Aza had a solo homer and Brandon Flowers added an RBI for the White Sox, losers in four of their last six.
Dylan Axelrod (0-3) was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits over six-plus innings to absorb the loss.
The Angels plated four runs in the third and another in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.
With runners first and third with one out in the seventh, Trout smacked a single to right field, scoring Hank Conger to give the Angels the lead. Tyler Flowers was unable to block a low slider from reliever Matt Lindstrom and Shuck, who moved to third on Trout's base hit, scurried across the plate to put the visitors in front 7-5.
With runners on the corners in the third, Shuck lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Conger. A Trout single put runners on first and third once again, and Pujols smoked a double to center field to clear the bases. Trumbo's base hit scored Pujols to give the visitors a three-run edge.
"They just seemed to find holes that third inning. They kept finding holes and just kind of lumped those runs together," Flowers said.
Harris' solo shot in the fourth made it 5-1.
Angels starter Barry Enright gave up a leadoff homer to De Aza in the first, but settled in and navigated through the next three innings with relative ease -- retiring nine straight batters, but got into trouble in the bottom of the fourth.
Alex Rios doubled and Enright issued back-to-back walks to Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko to load the bases. After striking out Conor Gillaspie, Enright skipped a curveball past Conger, allowing Rios to score. Viciedo then crushed a double to center field to plate Dunn and Konerko. Flowers added a base hit later in the frame to tie the game.
Game Notes
Enright made his first start in the majors since 2011 ... The Angels went 4- for-8 with runners in scoring position ... LA is 9-1 when leading after seven innings ... Axelrod has recorded a win since Aug. 29, 2012.
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