Albert Pujols hit a three-run double to help the LA Angels of Anaheim to an 8-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a four-game series.
The Angels secured at least a wild card spot with the victory, and moved their lead over the Oakland Athletics for first place in the AL West to 10 1/2 games.
Pujols left the game with a left hamstring strain after the hit, but he helped the Angles to their 11th win in their past 12 games.
David Freese and Brennan Boesch each hit a home run while Matt Shoemaker (16-4) won for a seventh time in his past eight starts after giving up a run on five hits in 7 2/3 innings.
Hisashi Iwakuma (14-8) was tagged for seven runs on six hits with a pair of walks in 3 1/3 innings for the Mariners, who have dropped five of their past six games.
Seattle fell two games back of Kansas City for the last wild card spot in the American League.
Pujols hit a double with the bases loaded and two outs in the second to clear the bags. With Tony Campana on base for Pujols, Howie Kendrick followed with a double for a 4-0 lead.
Freese led off the fourth with his ninth home run of the season, and Campana added a two-run single later in the frame to stake the Angels to a 7-0 advantage.
Boesch's solo homer in the fifth, his first of the season, made it an 8-0 contest.
A groundout from Humberto Quintero in the eighth scored Logan Morrison, who led off with a double and moved to third on a Michael Saunders groundout, to get Seattle on the board.
[SportsNetwork.com]
