Mike Trout made a pair of defensive gems and Albert Pujols took over on the offensive end to help the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in 11 innings.
Trout made a highlight-reel catch in the top of the 10th on Troy Tulowitzki's potential home run to deep center, then the reigning AL MVP saved another run in the 11th when he gunned down Carlos Gonzalez at the plate after a flyout by Daniel Descalso.
Cesar Ramos (2-0) picked up the win for his role in the 11th and Pujols won it with a sacrifice fly to left. C.J. Cron singled to begin the inning and Kole Calhoun ripped a long single off the wall in right that put runners at the corners.
The Rockies elected to walk Trout to load the bases before Pujols lifted a Christian Friedrich (0-1) offering to left field that plated Cron.
Colorado, which has lost seven straight meetings with the Angels, dropped its 11th straight game overall for the first time since July 4-17, 2000.
The Rockies scored one in the fourth to open the scoring, but there was action much earlier that caused some concern for the visitors.
Prior to the game, manager Walt Weiss was taken to the hospital because of stomach pain and discomfort. The team announced later that Weiss underwent an appendectomy.
Bench coach Tom Runnells managed the team in Weiss' absence, then once the game got underway, Colorado lost its starting pitcher after just an inning.
Jordan Lyles left the contest after getting hit in the right hand by a line drive off the bat of Pujols. With two outs in the first, Pujols ripped a ball of Lyle's hand that ricocheted to second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who made the play for the final out of the inning. X-rays on the hand were negative.
Christian Bergman relieved Lyles to start the second inning.
Colorado got on the board with some clutch, two-out hitting. Wilin Rosario and Justin Morneau singled after strikeouts to Nolan Arenado and Gonzalez, then Drew Stubbs poked a base hit into center that plated Rosario for a 1-0 lead.
Bergman did not allow the Angels' first hit on Erick Aybar's double with one out in the fifth, as Aybar was pegged out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.
Los Angeles started to hit Bergman hard in the seventh and tied the game. Calhoun singled to begin the inning before Arenado saved an extra base hit from Trout with a diving stab to get Calhoun at second. Pujols followed with a ground-rule double to left which ended Bergman's night.
Scott Oberg walked David Freese on four pitches to load the bases, then Aybar slapped a single into center that plated Trout, but Pujols was nabbed at the plate on a throw from Stubbs. Johnny Giavotella flied out to end the inning.
[SportsNetwork.com]
