Sweep gives Halos momentum ahead of Mexico

Trout, Calhoun homer; Skaggs solid over six innings vs. Blue Jays

May 3rd, 2019

ANAHEIM -- In no hurry to leave home, the Angels will at least start a four-city international journey with plenty of momentum as hit a home run and went six strong innings in a 6-2 victory over the Blue Jays on Thursday that finished off a three-game sweep.

The Angels will open an 11-game road trip Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico, against the Astros, with two RBIs shy of 2,000 for his career. Pujols had two doubles but did not drive in a run on Thursday.

The Angels are coming together on multiple fronts. The pitching staff has not given up more than three runs in any of the four victories going back to Sunday’s win over the Royals. And the offense has averaged 5.9 runs over the last 18 games, going back to the start of a homestand April 18 against the Mariners.

If a monster road trip has to appear on your schedule, it seems like an ideal time for the Angels to take on their opponents as well as the rigors of international and cross-country travel.

“We’ve struggled on the road, but we just need to start like we did in the series in Kansas City,” Pujols said, referring to last weekend’s series victory over the Royals. “We can’t focus on how long the road trip is going to be. I think sometimes it’s one or two teams that have a tough schedule, and this year it’s going to be us.”

With Pujols putting together determined at-bats and Trout continuing to show his prowess, the Angels are getting just what they need from their offensive leaders. Trout’s franchise-record on-base streak to open the season reached 29 games on a fourth-inning single. He homered in the sixth, his seventh.

By the time the Angels return home, Pujols figures to have a piece of history. Only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez have reached 2,000 RBIs since it became an official statistic in 1920.

“I think [Pujols] hit just about every ball hard when he was up there,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He hit two balls at the third baseman right on the screws and a double off the right-center-field wall. He had good at-bats and made good contact.”

Skaggs held the Blue Jays hitless over the first four innings and gave up two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Over his last two outings, he has given up just two runs over 11 innings, but said has been in a comfort zone longer than that.

“I thought my [April 12] outing at Chicago was pretty good besides the [three] home runs I gave up,” Skaggs said. “I feel, mechanical-wise, I’m hitting my stride a little bit, but I still need to cut down on my walks.”

hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his team-leading eighth, as the Angels have won four consecutive games and six of their last seven after opening the season 9-16.

Skaggs said the upcoming trip to Mexico, Detroit, Baltimore and Minneapolis is quite literally “all over the map,” but Pujols cautioned against looking too far down the proverbial road.

“We can’t worry about that, man, we’re just going to go and play the game,” Pujols said. “It doesn’t matter where we play. I’m going to Mexico to play in front of those fans who love the game of baseball. It gives them an opportunity to see a game that they can’t see [regularly].”

Twice as nice

Two weeks after the Mariners let a ball drop on the infield against the Angels in order to turn a double play, the Angels had their chance to do the same to the Blue Jays.

With Randal Grichuk at second base and Justin Smoak at first with one out, Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons let Brandon Drury’s soft line drive short-hop into his glove instead of catching it on the fly. He then stepped on second base to force out Smoak before retiring Grichuk in a rundown to preserve the Angels’ 5-2 lead.

“I thought [Simmons] was going to catch it, but he’s unbelievable; you never know,” Skaggs said. “I was honestly confused out there. I didn’t know what was going on. I was still on the mound. Then everybody ran off so I ran off.”