Pujols reaches 100 RBIs for 13th time, Angels beat Jays 6-3

Pujols reaches 100 RBIs for 13th time, Angels beat Jays 6-3


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TORONTO (AP) — Albert Pujols followed up a milestone homer by joining a select group of run producers.

Pujols reached the 100-RBI mark for the 13th time, the fifth player in history to achieve the feat, Mike Trout had three hits and matched his season-high with four RBIs, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Thursday night.

"Albert and Mike had a great series putting up some runs for us and a bunch of RBIs," Angels right-hander Jered Weaver said. "That was awesome."

Trout went 7 for 12 with five RBIs in the series, as the Angels took two of three. Pujols went 6 for 12 with four RBIs.

"They're both locked in," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "One's going to the Hall of Fame, one eventually probably will. They're swinging it good."

Weaver pitched 5 2-3 innings to snap a three-start losing streak as the Angels won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 2-3 and prevented J.A. Happ from becoming the first 18-game winner in the majors.

After winning 11 straight decisions, Happ (17-4) suffered his first lost since June 10 at Detroit. He allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.

One day after his 584th home run moved him past Mark McGwire into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list, Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Alex Rodriguez and Babe Ruth as the only players to collect 100 or more RBIs in 13 seasons.

"I'm just very blessed to have the opportunity to accomplish that," said Pujols, adding that he had received a congratulatory text from McGwire, his teammate with St. Louis in 2001.

Pujols leads baseball with 40 RBIs since the All-Star break.

"He's hit the ball hard all year," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Early in the year, not a lot to show for it."

Josh Donaldson homered for the Blue Jays, who missed an opportunity to open a one-game lead over Boston in the AL East. The Red Sox lost 2-1 at Tampa Bay earlier Thursday. Toronto has lost four of six.

"There's no doubt we've cooled off," Gibbons said. "That's due to change, it always does. There's not a lot of season left but we're due."

Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was activated off the 15-day disabled list and started at DH, batting leadoff. He finished 1 for 4 with two RBIs. He had a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI double in the ninth.

Los Angeles trailed 2-0 on Donaldson's fifth-inning homer, his 29th. Trout tied it with a two-run single in the sixth and Pujols followed with a go-ahead single.

Up with the bases loaded for the second straight at-bat, Trout hit a two-run single off Joaquin Benoit in the seventh.

"(Trout) is as good as there is and he's hitting the ball hard," Scioscia said. "He came up in the right spots tonight and got hits."

Weaver (9-11) allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits.

TOUGH ON TORONTO

Weaver is 11-2 in 14 career starts against Toronto, including 4-0 in five starts against the Blue Jays since 2013. He's 5-1 in six career outings at Rogers Centre.

HOMER PRONE

Weaver has allowed 31 home runs this season, tied with James Shields for second-most in baseball. Cleveland's Josh Tomlin has given up 32.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: 3B Yunel Escobar (concussion) has not resumed physical activity and won't be activated when eligible Saturday, Scioscia said. Escobar fouled a ball off his face while attempting to bunt last Friday.

Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis (sore right ring finger) missed his third straight game but hopes to return Friday. ... OF Michael Saunders (hamstring) was unavailable. ... INF Ryan Goins was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Bautista.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Ricky Nolasco (4-11, 5.22) starts Friday as Los Angeles returns home for a three-game series with the Tigers. Nolasco is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts against Detroit this season.

Blue Jays: LHP Francisco Liriano (6-12, 5.21) starts the opener of a three-game series against Minnesota on Friday. He's 2-1 with a 5.66 ERA in four career starts against the Twins.

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