ANAHEIM, Calif. — Albert Pujols had an RBI double among his four hits, Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer, and the surging Los Angeles Angels pounded out a season-high 21 hits in an 11-3 victory over the Mariners on Monday night.
Alberto Callaspo matched his career high with four hits, driving in two runs during the Angels’ seven-run sixth inning. Peter Bourjos had three hits as Los Angeles battered Aaron Harang (3-7) and the Seattle bullpen in its fourth victory in five games.
Jason Vargas (6-4) yielded four hits and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in seven strong innings, easily beating his former teammates in his second start against the Mariners since an offseason trade.
Nick Franklin hit an early two-run homer for Seattle in the series opener.
Howie Kendrick and Mike Trout drove in early runs as the Angels got a hit from all nine spots in their big-budget lineup. Los Angeles has 67 hits and 36 runs in its last five games after its first 20-hit performance in a nine-inning game since 2008.
Trout also scored his 200th career run in the sixth, reaching the milestone in just 249 games — the quickest major leaguer to the mark since 1940. Only seven players since 1916 reached 200 runs more quickly than last season’s AL Rookie of the Year, and five of those players are in the Hall of Fame, including Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Lloyd Waner.
Erick Aybar and Chris Iannetta had run-scoring singles during the sixth, and they both scored on Franklin’s throwing error on Trout’s bases-loaded grounder. Callaspo also had a two-run single in the sixth while emphatically snapping a 10-for-64 skid.
Even Brendan Harris snapped an 0-for-24 skid with a pinch-hit single in the seventh. Los Angeles had its first 20-hit game since last Aug. 23 at Boston, and seven Angels drove in a run.
The Angels also pounded out eight hits and four runs in the first two innings against Harang, who threw a two-hitter against Houston in his previous start.
Harang yielded 12 hits and four runs in five innings before the Angels beat up on Seattle relievers Carter Capps and Charlie Furbush in the sixth.
Kendrick, who has been batting around .500 in June, had an RBI double to right field in the first inning, scoring Hamilton. After Trout’s long sacrifice fly brought home Callaspo in the second, Hamilton hit his two-run shot to the trees beyond center field, where a leaping Michael Saunders got his glove on the ball, but couldn’t haul it in.
After Endy Chavez got the Mariners’ first hit, Franklin connected for his third homer.
Vargas didn’t allow another runner past first base, and the Angels put it out of reach while sending 12 batters to the plate in the sixth.
NOTES: Aybar, the Angels’ former Gold Glove shortstop, booted a routine grounder in the second inning for Los Angeles’ MLB-worst 54th error. The Angels have committed an error in 10 straight games. … Seattle RF Jason Bay sat out the series opener with a sore hamstring. The veteran outfielder’s leg tightened up during Sunday’s game in Oakland. … Pujols hit a 390-foot line drive off the wall in deep center field in the second inning, but the burly $240 million slugger only managed a single.
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