Angels finish interleague ML-best 14-4
June 28, 2009
PHOENIX (AP)—Gary Matthews Jr.(notes) stole home and hit a three-run double, JuanRivera(notes), Jeff Mathis(notes) and Maicer Izturis(notes) homered and the Los Angeles Angels cashedin on four Arizona errors to defeat the Diamondbacks 12-8 on Sunday afternoon.
The Angels nearly blew a seven-run fifth-inning. Leading 9-2 in the fifth,they let the NL West cellar dwellers draw within 9-8 in the sixth before thebullpen closed the door. Los Angeles swept the three-game series and wrapped upinterleague play with a majors-leading 14-4 record, including going 8-1 on theroad.
With two out and the bases loaded in the fourth, Matthews doubled down theleft field line to clear the bases and give the Angels a 3-2 lead. Then came theplay of the game.
With Erick Aybar(notes) batting from the left side, Matthews broke as Arizona’s MaxScherzer(notes) (5-5) went into his windup. Matthews and the ball arrived at the plateat the same time, and he slid under Montero’s tag.
It was the second time Matthews has stolen home. He scored his first careerrun by stealing home on June 4, 1999.
Series at a Glance LA Angels 12 Arizona 3 Fri, Jun 26 – Final LA Angels 2 Arizona 1 Sat, Jun 27 – Final LA Angels 12 Arizona 8 Sun, Jun 28 – Final
Arizona has lost eight of nine and leads the majors with 71 errors.
Staked to a 9-2 lead, Angels starter Matt Palmer(notes) (7-1) lasted three battersinto the sixth. He allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings, walking two.
Arizona melted down in the fifth, committing three errors in a span of fivebatters to match a franchise record for errors in an inning.
Leadoff man Jeff Mathis reached when first baseman Mark Reynolds(notes) dropped aroutine throw from second baseman Felipe Lopez(notes). One out later, right fielderJustin Upton(notes) dropped a line drive, and then Lopez let a grounder go through hislegs as the Chase Field crowd of 25,684 erupted into boos.
The Diamondbacks lead the majors with 71 errors.
Only three of the eight runs allowed by Scherzer were earned. He went 4 1-3innings and gave up four hits, walked three and struck out two.
Juan Rivera’s two-run homer off the top of the left field fence capped thefive-run inning and gave the Angels a 9-2 lead.
Arizona Diamondbacks' Max … AP – Jun 28, 6:45 pm EDT
But then the Diamondbacks awoke.
Arizona got a run back on Gerardo Parra’s(notes) groundout in the fifth, thenpulled within 9-8 in the sixth on a two-run double by Tony Clark(notes) and RBI singlesby Stephen Drew(notes), Parr and Montero.
The Angels made it 10-8 in the eighth on a solo shot by Mathis, who hit an0-2 delivery from Jon Rauch(notes) into the left field seats.
In the ninth, Izturis put the Angels up 12-8 with a two-run homer off TonyPena(notes) into the pool area in right-center field.
NOTES: Arizona manager A.J. Hinch closed the clubhouse before the game tocall a team meeting—the third in less than two weeks. Hinch would divulge whatwas said. “We had a lot to talk about,” Hinch said. “We are a last-place teamnot playing up to our standards.” … Arizona is 2-11-1 in home series thisyear, and 0-7-1 under Hinch, who replaced Bob Melvin on May 8. … The Angelsopen a three-game series at Texas on Monday night. The division rivals will playsix times in the next 10 days.
