Angels' Perez, Trout, Pujols crack open bats

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Carlos Pèrezhomered and Mike Trout and Albert Pujols drove in one run apiece to help propel the Angels to a 9-3 win over the Rockies on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Cameron Maybin went 2-for-3 with a double and snapped his 0-for-20 start to the spring by singling off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela in the third. Nolan Fontana added an RBI triple in the second, while Ramón Flores contributed a two-run single in the sixth.
Stephen Cardullo and Anthony Bemboom hit solo home runs for the Rockies. Raimel Tapia also chipped in with an RBI triple in the eighth.
Senzatela, who is under serious consideration for one of two open rotation spots, gave up four runs on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings. He had an injury scare in the fourth after being struck on the left forearm by a line drive off the bat of Kole Calhoun, but he stayed in the game until surrendering back-to-back RBI singles to Trout and Pujols, which ended his outing.

Senzatela said the ball hit "just muscle," and he'll be fine, but he was smarting from frustration.
"It was a little bit bad because I needed to throw five innings, and I didn't," he said. "I didn't have my slider. I just tried to compete with my fastball and keep it down.
"I know they are good hitters, but I'm trying to be a god pitcher, too."
Senzatela made only seven Double-A starts during his injury-shortened 2016 season, but he entered Saturday with 10 strikeouts over 11 1/3 innings and was holding opposing batters to a .238 average this spring. Rockies manager Bud Black liked Senzatela's competitiveness and accurate self-evaluation Saturday, and added that it's "extremely fair" to say he remains in contention.

Greg Holland, coming off Tommy John surgery, made his second Cactus League appearance for the Rockies, but he couldn't finish one inning, allowing two runs on two singles and two walks while recording two outs in the sixth.
Right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, a non-roster invitee who is competing for a spot on the Angels' pitching staff, faced one batter over the minimum in two innings and struck out four in his third outing of his spring. His lone mistake was surrendering a leadoff home run to Cardullo in the second. Petit worked five scoreless innings over his first two Cactus League appearances for the Angels before leaving camp to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
"He was great," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He forced one fastball he didn't quite get in for the home run, but outside of that, his stuff looked good. He really has got good carry on his fastball."
Angels relievers Cam Bedrosian and Andrew Bailey, the two candidates for the closer job, pitched one scoreless inning each.

Rockies Up Next: Righty Jon Gray, who has nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 Cactus League innings, will start Sunday against the Athletics at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. MT. Also on Sunday, righty prospect Jeff Hoffman -- competing for a rotation spot -- will face the Cubs in a Triple-A game at the SRF complex at 2 p.m. MT.
Angels Up Next: Right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who has recorded a 5.00 ERA this spring, will make his fourth Cactus League start when the Angels host the White Sox on Sunday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PT live on MLB.TV.
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