Almonte leads Indians to 9-2 win against slumping Angels
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLEVELAND (AP) Abraham Almonte hit his first career grand slam and Josh Tomlin worked into the eighth inning, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 9-2 win over the slumping Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
Almonte's fifth-inning homer off Jered Weaver broke open a close game and sent Cleveland to its fifth straight win.
Weaver (6-10) didn't get much help from his defense. Center fielder Mike Trout and right fielder Kole Calhoun lost catchable fly balls in the sun, leading to five Cleveland runs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Carlos Santana drove in three runs for the Indians, who trailed Texas by five games for the second AL wild card coming into the day.
The Angels (65-65) have dropped eight of 10 to fall back to .500 for the first time since June 26. Coming into the day, Los Angeles was 2 1/2 games behind the Rangers.
Trout, batting .194 in August going into the game, was 4 for 4 and had an RBI single in the eighth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tomlin (3-1) was charged with two runs in seven-plus innings. The right-hander was making his fourth start since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 15 after having shoulder surgery in March.
Cleveland blew open Saturday's game on Yan Gomes' eighth-inning grand slam. The Indians followed a similar script Sunday, with help from shoddy defense for the Angels.
Cleveland had a 2-0 lead when Brantley singled with one out in the fifth. Santana lifted what appeared to be a routine fly ball to right, but Calhoun lost sight of it. The ball fell for a double and Brantley took third.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Angels manager Mike Scioscia went to the mound to talk to Weaver, perhaps to settle down the right-hander. Lonnie Chisenhall was walked intentionally before Almonte delivered with a drive to right-center.
Brantley's RBI double gave Cleveland the lead in the first. Brantley scored when Trout lost Santana's fly ball near the warning track.
Weaver was charged with eight runs in six innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Grant Green homered for Los Angeles on the first pitch of the sixth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 3B David Freese (broken right finger), who is on a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake, likely will be activated when rosters are expanded Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (sore elbow) will begin a throwing program this week. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 22.
UP NEXT
Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (7-8) starts Monday in the opener of a three-game series in Oakland. He is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Athletics since the beginning of last season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (11-7), who was scratched from Friday's start because of a virus, faces the hard-hitting Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday night.