CHICAGO – Realizing he didn't have good stuff, Angels pitcher Joe Blanton knew he'd need a little luck.
Turns out he didn't have that either.
Blanton allowed one of Alfonso Soriano's two home runs and four of the Cubs' season-high five long balls, and Travis Wood earned his first win in nearly six weeks in Chicago's 7-2 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney also homered for Chicago in the interleague game.
"Some days you hope when you make the mistakes, when you don't have good stuff, they pop it up or hit line drives right at people" Blanton said. "I didn't get lucky today. Obviously, when you throw pitches down the middle you're not going to get a lot of luck."
Blanton (2-11) went five innings, giving up eight hits and six runs with three walks and three strikeouts. He leads the majors in losses.
Rizzo and Soriano hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning with two outs, the second time this season they've done it.
Castro gave Chicago a 3-0 lead with his fifth homer in the third.
Barney's fifth homer of the season came in the sixth after Dioner Navarro doubled and Nate Schierholtz was hit by a pitch. Blanton left trailing 6-0 after allowing Barney's homer.
"I really didn't have good stuff tonight," Blanton said. "It was just one of those games. I tried to battle through, but I made too many mistakes over the plate.
"The three-run (homer) hurts the worst. You can live through solos and battle around everything else. Three-run homers kill you, but honestly, all of them."
Blanton leads the American League in earned runs allowed (71), home runs allowed (22) and hits allowed (143).
"Tonight was just a poor night for him," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
The same was true for the Angels offense.
Stymied by Wood for no runs on two singles in six innings, the Angels offense came alive in the seventh, as Albert Pujols hit his 14th home run, a two-run shot. The Angels left the bases loaded when pinch hitter Brad Hawpe struck out against Cubs reliever Matt Guerrier.
There was nothing else for the Angels against Wood (6-6), who has been named to the American League roster for the All-Star Game.
Wood allowed four hits over 6 2-3 innings, with two walks and five strikeouts, to earn his first victory since May 30.
Wood retired 14 straight Angels from the start of the second inning until allowing a two-out single in the sixth.
"It's (L.A.) a very stout lineup," Wood said. "They're pretty solid through and through. For us to go out there and have the game that we did is pretty outstanding."
NOTES: Sveum said right-hander Scott Baker could be back with the team in a month after an elbow injury put him on the DL. Baker had his fourth simulated game in a rehab stint on Tuesday and the next step is pitching in actual games. ... Cubs outfielder Brian Bogusevic will likely be available without limitation for the series against St. Louis starting Thursday. Bogusevic pulled left hamstring Thursday. ... Starting catcher Welington Castillo, who missed Monday's game with the White Sox due to dehydration, was available Tuesday but manager Dale Sveum wanted to hold him out one more day as a precaution. . After Tuesday, Pujols has 27 home runs against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, tying with Adam Dunn for most by an active opposing player. ... Scioscia said left-hander Jason Vargas should begin throwing by the end of this week. He went on the 15-day DL June 18 with a blood clot in his left armpit. ... The Cubs hadn't hit five home runs at Wrigley since Sept. 17, 2006. ... Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija (5-8, 3.54) opposes Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson (8-6, 3.49) in the final game of the series Wednesday.
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