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Trout Homers Again As Angels Beat Dodgers, 7-4

ANAHEIM (AP) — Johnny Giavotella singled in the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs in the fifth inning and the Los Angeles Angels rallied to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Thursday night, taking three out of four games in the Freeway Series.

Mike Trout homered for the second straight game and Carlos Perez added a solo shot for the Angels, who have scored 52 runs in the last eight games after just eight in their previous five games. They have won six of seven.

Trout was 2 of 3 with a walk, drove in three runs and scored twice in front of 45,007, the largest crowd for a regular-season game since Angel Stadium was renovated in 1998. Trout has raised his average to .327 after being at .220 a month ago.

Jose Alvarez (1-1) worked 1 2/3 innings for the win. Joe Smith pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Perez homered leading off the sixth, extending the Angels' lead to 6-4.

The Angels scored three runs in the fifth for their first lead of the game. Ross Stripling (1-3) gave up a leadoff single to Gregorio Petit before issuing consecutive walks to Kole Calhoun and Trout that loaded the bases. Stripling hit C.J. Cron in the left arm, forcing in one run. Chris Hatcher came on and gave up Giavotella's single that made it 5-4.

Trout homered on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the third and the Angels trailing 3-2.

Angels starter Jhoulys Chacin allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings, struck out two and walked three. He had two wild pitches in the first inning, one of which led to the Dodgers' first run.

Stripling gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, struck out three and walked three. He also had a wild pitch in the first, when the Angels tied the game 1-all on Trout's RBI single.

Howie Kendrick tripled in two runs to put the Dodgers ahead 3-1 in the third. Joc Pederson's fielder's choice grounder added a run in the fifth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez (low back tightness) missed his fourth straight game. He is expected to return to the lineup Saturday. ... LF Scott Van Slyke (low back irritation) is working out with players at extended spring training in Arizona and is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week.

Angels: C Geovany Soto had surgery Thursday to repair a right meniscus tear and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.

SLOW GOING

Pedro Baez's inconsistent tempo continues to concern the Dodgers. The game moves more slowly when the reliever is on the mound since he often takes 45 seconds or more to throw. Manager Dave Roberts cited being comfortable with pitch selection and throwing specific pitches with conviction as reasons for Baez's lack of flow.

"When he sees a guy take a good swing at his high fastball that hitters don't have success against, he might take it as they're on the pitch," Roberts said. "He's kind of maybe second-guessing a little bit of, 'Should I go to my secondary or should I elevate a little higher?' There is a little bit of uncertainty."

DODGERS ADD TSAO

The Dodgers selected the contract of right-handed reliever Chin-hui Tsao from Triple-A Oklahoma City, who pitched the eighth inning, and sent RHP Mike Bolsinger to the minors Thursday. Tsao is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA and six saves at Triple-A, including 8 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in his last eight games since April 29. Bolsinger was reinstated from the DL on Wednesday and was the losing pitcher in the team's 8-1 defeat.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Scott Kazmir (3-3, 4.89 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at San Diego. He last faced the Padres on April 5, at Petco Park, allowing one hit in six scoreless innings while getting the win in the Dodgers' 3-0 victory.

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (3-2, 3.42) will make his first start against the Orioles in the series opener since July 31, 2014. He is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six career games (three starts) against them.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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