David Freese's Late HR Puts Angels Past Tigers, 2-1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (CBSLA.com/AP) — David Freese hit a tiebreaking homer off Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 Sunday for their third straight victory.
Erick Aybar scored from second base on Rick Porcello's poor pickoff throw in the fifth for the Angels, who improved the majors' second-best record to 63-41 in the finale of a 10-game homestand.
Hector Santiago and three Angels relievers combined on a three hitter as Detroit managed just one hit in its final 25 at-bats, getting just one baserunner after the first inning.
Victor Martinez had an RBI double in the first inning for the Tigers, who have lost nine of 10 at the Big A, including three of four in this series.
In the second, slugger Josh Hamilton, who returned to the Angels lineup following a sore left knee, heard boos from Angel fans, after showing an apparent lack of hustle.
Freese, who had been 5 for 31 on the Angels' homestand, delivered one of the biggest hits in his up-and-down debut season with the Angels.
He drove a one-out pitch from Chamberlain (1-4) to the fake rock pile beyond the center field fence for his sixth homer of the season.
Joe Smith (4-0) pitched the eighth for Los Angeles, which got nine innings of scoreless, two-hit relief pitching in its three straight wins over Detroit.
Huston Street pitched the ninth for his third save in four appearances with his new club.
After a rough first inning, Santiago retired 14 straight Tigers in another strong start for the Angels. The left-hander yielded three hits while pitching into the sixth inning of his seventh straight appearance without a loss following his 0-7 start to the year.
Porcello pitched seven innings of five-hit ball for the Tigers, but left without his 13th victory, which would have matched St. Louis' Adam Wainwright for the major league lead. Porcello struck out six, including the last four batters he faced, and only allowed a runner to reach second base in the fifth inning.
Santiago needed 28 pitches to get out of the first inning, though he allowed just one run. Ian Kinsler singled and eventually scored on Martinez's drive to the right-field wall.
Santiago quickly found his groove, but Porcello didn't allow a runner to reach second until back-to-back singles by Aybar and Kendrick in the fifth. Porcello then threw a pickoff attempt into center field, and Aybar alertly scampered all the way home when three Tigers forgot about him.
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