'I feel like myself': Trout continues red-hot end of season with 2 HRs

ANAHEIM -- When Mike Trout met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the relief of finally hitting his 400th career home run on Saturday in Colorado, he made sure to emphasize that he made a recent change in his mechanics that he believed would get him back to his old self.

Trout has looked locked-in since then after a day off on Wednesday, as he went deep against the Royals on Thursday and homered twice to lead the Angels to a 4-3 win over the Astros on Friday night at Angel Stadium. It was the 30th career multihomer game for Trout, who put a huge dent in Houston’s postseason chances, as they’re now one game behind both the Guardians and Tigers with two games to play and don’t own any tiebreakers.

“I definitely have more confidence,” Trout said. “It’s something I can take into the offseason and work on. It's good to see results. I’ve said it before throughout the years, it would feel good in the cage but I just wouldn’t get results. But now I’m getting results.”

Trout’s second homer proved to be the game-winner, as he connected on a go-ahead solo blast off lefty reliever Bryan King on a 2-0 fastball over the heart of the plate. Trout ripped it the other way over the right-center-field fence for his 25th homer of the year and No. 403 in his career.

Trout credited seeing the ball better since his swing changes for his recent production -- not because of the relief of hitting No. 400.

No. 398 came on Aug. 6, No. 399 came on Sept. 11 and No. 400 finally came on Saturday with a 486-foot shot at Coors Field.

“Nah, it had nothing to do with it,” Trout said. “I was in a bad spot before that. I've been saying it all year, when I'm up there and I'm in a good spot to recognize pitches early and be on time, I feel like myself.”

Trout also made some history in the process, passing Tim Salmon for second on the club’s all-time RBI list. Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, now has 1,017 RBIs, behind only Garret Anderson's 1,992 RBIs with the club.

Trout’s first homer got the Angels on the board in the fourth inning against right-hander Jason Alexander. Trout jumped all over a first-pitch sweeper from Alexander and pulled it to left-center to bring the Angels within two runs.

Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said he’s been pleased to see Trout finish the season strong, as it’s been a down year by his standards. Trout, 34, has batted .230/.356/.431 with 25 homers, 14 doubles and 63 RBIs in 128 games this year, including 104 as designated hitter because of a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee sustained in late April.

“I don't know what words describe what this guy's done throughout the course of his career, both from a production standpoint, from a personal standpoint and from a teammate standpoint, but he's done nothing other than come here and give everything he has to the organization,” Montgomery said. “He went through some struggles. But at the end of the day, we kind of joke about it, like he's still at [25] home runs, close to an .800 OPS, .360 on-base. Like for everybody else, you’d feel good about it. You take that in the offseason. But he’s never stopped getting after it, he never stopped working.”

Trout’s big night also came with fellow veteran Kyle Hendricks possibly making his final start of his 12-year career. Hendricks allowed three runs (two earned) with eight strikeouts over five innings, and while he didn’t factor into the decision, it was a memorable night for Hendricks -- with Trout’s help -- against the Astros, who have been a thorn in the Angels’ side for more than a decade.

“We know what’s at stake for them,” Trout said. “We’re going to go out there and try to win the next two. They're playing for something and so we’re going to keep coming in and battling.”