ANAHEIM (AP) — Mike Trout went 4 for 4 with a homer and scored four times in his return to the lineup, Albert Pujols connected twice and Cliff Pennington hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to rally the Los Angeles Angels past the Oakland Athletics 10-8 on Wednesday night.
Pujols drove in four runs and scored three. His two homers moved him into a tie with Jim Thome for seventh place on the career list at 612.
Trout had a triple and two singles for the Angels, who erased a five-run deficit and won their third straight. They remained a game behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card.
Trout snapped an 0-for-17 slump that marked the second-longest hitless skid of his career. He missed the previous two games as a precaution with a stiff neck after crashing into the outfield wall Sunday trying to make a catch.
Matt Olson and Bruce Maxwell homered as Oakland put up a season-high eight runs in the fourth to build an 8-3 lead. But the Angels scored two in the fifth and five in the seventh, capped by Pennington’s first career slam.
Chris Hatcher (0-2) walked Luis Valbuena to load the bases with two outs. Pennington then connected on a 2-2 pitch for his third home run of the season.
Cam Bedrosian (4-3) worked a scoreless inning and Blake Parker got four outs for his fourth save.
Olson hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Maxwell added a two-run drive to chase starter Parker Bridwell with no outs.
Trout hit a solo home run in his first at-bat, his 27th of the season, and put an exclamation mark on it with a big fist pump.
Pujols had a two-run shot to right field in the third to give the Angels a 3-0 run lead that soon evaporated. He connected for a two-run drive in the fifth to pull them back within three.
Bridwell had his worst outing of the season, allowing seven runs and six hits in three-plus innings. He walked three, all in the fourth.
Oakland starter Kendall Graveman gave up five runs and six hits in five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: C Josh Phegley (strained left oblique) joined the team. He has been on the disabled list since July 25 and is expected to be activated when rosters expand Friday.
Angels: INF Yunel Escobar (right oblique strain) felt fine after a rehab game Tuesday. He’s expected to return as the everyday third baseman soon. . RHP Garrett Richards (right biceps strain), out since April, threw 40 pitches in two scoreless innings of a rehab start at Triple-A Salt Lake. He allowed five hits.
UP NEXT
Athletics: LHP Sean Manaea (9-8, 4.55 ERA) pitches Friday night at Seattle after beating Texas last time out.
Angels: LHP Tyler Skaggs (1-4, 4.15) starts Friday night on the road against Rangers ace Cole Hamels (9-2, 3.78).
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