ANAHEIM, Calif. – Mark Trumbo drove in Albert Pujols with the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Angels won their season series with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third straight year with a 5-3 victory Sunday.
Peter Bourjos hit an early two-run homer and Howie Kendrick added another RBI single in the seventh for the Angels, who won four of six in the Freeway Series. The Angels haven't lost the local derby since 2006, and they've won 13 of their last 18 games against the Dodgers, who have the NL's best record.
Bobby Abreu and Dee Gordon drove in early runs for the slumping Dodgers, who have lost six straight series to the Angels.
Pujols drove in Mike Trout with a go-ahead run in the fifth inning moments before Angels manager Mike Scioscia was ejected for arguing a call at third base. Juan Rivera doubled and scored on Adam Kennedy's flyout to even it for the Dodgers in the sixth.
Trumbo and Kendrick then capped a two-out rally against Dodgers reliever Josh Lindblom (2-2) with singles, driving home Pujols and Kendrys Morales.
Scott Downs (1-0) pitched one hitless inning of relief, and Ernesto Frieri got four outs to earn his ninth save for the Angels, who have won 11 of 15 and 22 of 30 while surging up the standings over the last month. Frieri struck out Gordon with a runner on second base to end it.
The Angels also cemented their spot as the majors' best interleague team since the start of the 2007 season, improving to 74-34 after going 12-6 against NL clubs this season.
Both teams dropped playable popups and endured close umpiring calls as the Los Angeles clubs finished an entertaining weekend in front of the largest three-game crowd for any series in Angel Stadium history, packing in 133,035 fans.
Garrett Richards struggled through much of his seventh career start for the Angels after giving up just two earned runs in his previous four starts while ace Jered Weaver was on the disabled list. The rookie, who's still in the rotation with Jerome Williams on the DL with breathing problems, hung on into the seventh while yielding nine hits and two walks, striking out five.
Aaron Harang yielded eight hits and three runs in six innings for the Dodgers, walking just two Angels after issuing a career-high eight walks in his last start in Oakland. He also had the longest start of his career without recording a strikeout.
All three former Angels in the Dodgers' starting lineup contributed. Abreu hurt the team that's still paying his exorbitant salary with a run-scoring single in the first, while Rivera and Kennedy teamed up for a run in the sixth.
Bourjos evened it in the second with a shot into the bullpen in left field, connecting a few pitches after his drive down the right-field line was mistakenly ruled foul. Bourjos has been struggling for consistent playing time and hadn't homered since his inside-the-park shot in Minnesota on April 11.
Pujols started the Angels' seventh-inning rally by drawing his 1,000th career walk, becoming the 12th active major leaguer to reach the milestone.
NOTES: Scioscia was tossed for the second time this season and the 33rd time in his career. ... Williams will throw three simulated innings during the Angels' trip to Baltimore starting Tuesday. He spent last Tuesday night in the hospital with breathing problems following his third straight loss, and the Angels want to maintain Williams' conditioning during his DL stint. ... The Dodgers open a three-game rivalry series at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark Monday night with Nathan Eovaldi facing struggling Barry Zito. ... C.J. Wilson pitches the Angels' series opener in Baltimore on Tuesday against Brian Matusz. ... Bourjos hadn't hit a ball out of a park since last Sept. 21.
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