Angels 8, Detroit 6
KEY MOMENT: The Angels had already hit four solo home runs against Tigers starter Shane Greene — including back-to-back second-inning shots by Matt Joyce and Carlos Perez — when Albert Pujols came to the plate later in the second with two outs and two runners on. Pujols blasted a homer to left field to give the Angels a 7-1 lead.
AT THE PLATE: Five of the Angels’ nine hits were homers. Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun homered in the first inning, Joyce, Perez and Pujols in the second. Pujols homered for the third game in a row, Joyce the third in four games. Trout has 12 homers, Pujols 11, Calhoun five, Joyce four, Perez two. Perez also had a run-scoring double in the eighth.
ON THE MOUND: Jered Weaver gave up three runs and nine hits in 61⁄
3 innings and improved his record to 4-4. He struck out three and hit a batter. Cesar Ramos and Fernando Salas finished the seventh, and Salas pitched into the eighth. Joe Smith, who was not available for Friday night’s game because of a neck stiffness, came on with two outs and a runner at second with the Angels leading, 7-5. Smith got Nick Castellanos to ground out. Huston Street gave up a home run to Ian Kinsler in the ninth but recorded his 16th save.
INJURY REPORT: Pujols was in the lineup as the designated hitter, but he is nursing a groin injury that prompted the Angels to option pitcher Vinnie Pestano to triple-A Salt Lake and recall Efren Navarro, who started at first base. Navarro singled in his first at-bat. . . . Shortstop Erick Aybar sat out for the second consecutive game because of a hamstring injury suffered Thursday. Aybar hit and performed drills before the game and said he felt great. Aybar said he planned to be in the lineup Sunday. Manager Mike Scioscia said that Aybar would start if there were no ill effects from Saturday’s work.
EXTRA BASES: Grant Green, a former shortstop at USC, watched the Trojans’ NCAA playoff victory over UC Santa Barbara on his phone in the clubhouse before making his second career start at short for the Angels. With Weaver on the mound, Scioscia said, “There’s not much action at shortstop and I think we can try to get a little more offensive presence in there right now and we can always go to defense later in the game.” Green struck out and grounded out before he was replaced by Taylor Featherston.
UP NEXT: Matt Shoemaker (3-4, 5.44 earned-run average) faces the Tigers’ David Price (4-1, 2.97) on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Angel Stadium. TV: ESPN; Radio: 830, 710, 1220.