Featherston Hits 1st HR, Wilson Strong In Angels' 7-1 Rout
PHOENIX (AP) — C.J. Wilson struck out a season-high nine in his second straight strong outing, Taylor Featherston hit his first major league home run and the Angels beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Thursday to split the four-game interleague series.
The first two games were played in Anaheim, the last two in Phoenix.
Wilson (5-5), after throwing seven scoreless innings in his previous start, gave up one run and scattered eight hits in eight innings. The left-hander didn't walk anyone.
Featherston and Johnny Giavotella each hit solo homers in the third off Allen Webster (1-1), making his second big league start.
Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt was 0 for 4 and struck out three times, failing to reach base for the first time in 28 games. It had been the longest active streak in the majors.
Carlos Perez had a two-run double and Efren Navarro a two-run single in the Angels' five-run sixth inning. Mike Trout tripled in the inning's other run.
Webster was rocked for six runs on five hits and walked five, one intentional, in 5 1-3 innings. He left with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. Josh Collmenter, who lost his rotation spot to Webster, came in and gave up the big hits to Navarro and Perez.
For the eighth time since they were 8-8 on April 24, the Diamondbacks failed in a bid to reach .500.
Arizona had cut the Angels' lead to 2-1 with consecutive doubles by David Peralta and Nick Ahmed in the fifth.
Giavotella, moved to the leadoff spot as manager Mike Scioscia shook up the lineup, opened the sixth with a single. Trout tripled to the right-center gap, avoiding the tag with a head-first slide. An intentional walk to Albert Pujols and four-pitch walk to David Freese loaded the bases for Navarro.
Featherston, who entered the game hitting .083 in 36 at-bats, lined an 0-1 pitch into the left field seats. Two batters later, Giavotella hit the first pitch into almost the same spot and it was 2-0.
Wilson, rarely at the plate because he's in the American League, made an ill-advised attempt to stretch a single into a double and was thrown out by right fielder Yasmany Tomas to end the fifth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: RHP Cory Rasmus, on the 60-day DL and yet to play this season after undergoing abdominal surgery, begins a rehab assignment this week.
Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (shoulder tendinitis) pitched a simulated game on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Angels: The Angels open a three-game series in Oakland on Friday night, starting Matt Shoemaker (4-5, 4.85 ERA) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (8-3, 1.60), the major league ERA leader.
Diamondbacks: The five-game homestand continues with the series opener against San Diego on Friday, Arizona's first game against the Padres since Pat Murphy, former coach at Arizona State, became their interim manager. Arizona goes with RHP Rubby De La Rosa (5-3, 5.27), who tossed eight scoreless innings in his last start. The Diamondbacks try to hand RHP James Shields (7-0, 3.59) his first loss of the season.
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