The two-time AL MVP wants to be part of the action in the field

Mike Trout has no interest in merely taking his cuts at the plate Greg Gaines Jersey , walking back to the dugout and waiting patiently for his next at-bat.


Trout celebrated his return to center field Friday night with a solo home run and an impressive catch, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped a six-game skid by beating the floundering Baltimore Orioles 7-1.

Back in the outfield after an ineffective nine-game stretch as a designated hitter, Trout hit his 24th home run in the first inning off David Hess (2-5) to spark the Angels to their first win in a week. Trout reached base three times and ran down a liner in the gap to rob Danny Valencia of a potential fourth-inning double.

”I like being out there,” Trout said. ”It keeps me in the game.”

Forced to play DH because of a sprained right index finger, Trout went 6 for 28 (.214) with 11 strikeouts and no homers.

”He certainly is not acclimated to the DH role, and you wouldn’t expect an everyday player to be Christian Wilkins Jersey ,” manager Mike Scioscia said. ”It grounds on you.”

Martin Maldonado also homered for Los Angeles, Andrelton Simmons had four hits and Felix Pena (1-0) allowed five hits over 5 1/3 shutout innings.

Like the Mariners before them, the Angels found facing the Orioles to be the cure for an extended slump. Earlier this week, Seattle notched a four-game sweep at Camden Yards after coming to town with six losses in seven games.

The Angels were reeling from a three-game sweep in Boston, where they were outscored 22-9, before breezing past the awful Orioles in the opener of a three-game series.

”Mike got us on the board, then we kept pecking away,” Scioscia said. ”It starts with pitching. You keep putting up those zeros and let your offense get going.”

Los Angeles led 3-0 before pulling away with a three-run sixth. Simmons started the uprising with a double and Kole Calhoun contributed a sacrifice fly.

Baltimore owns the worst record in the majors (23-58) http://www.miamidolphinsteamonline.com/michael-deiter-jersey , and is playing at a pace to lose 116 games. The Orioles have dropped 16 of 17 at home and are 0-14 against the AL West.

”It’s the story again, we scored one run and nothing through eight innings,” manager Buck Showalter said. ”You’re not going to win that way.”

Hess, a rookie right-hander, has put his spot in the rotation in jeopardy by compiling a 10.70 ERA over his last four starts.

He’s really got to command the fastball,” Showalter said. ”If it doesn’t work out there, there’s potential for another role. But we’re looking for starters and he’s showed he can do it.”

TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS

The Orioles placed five lilies at the press box seat reserved for The Capital Gazette. Five employees of the newspaper were shot and killed Thursday, including long-time sports writer John McNamara Garrett Bradbury Jersey , who was shifted to the news side a few years ago but was still an occasional visitor to the press box. The team also held a moment of silence before the game in honor of all five victims.

TAKE THAT

Trout’s home run gave him 1,132 hits for his career, one more than Scioscia compiled in his 1,441 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: SS Zack Cozart underwent surgery on Friday in Los Angeles to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Cozart decided on surgery after experiencing continued discomfort and following a second opinion. … Reliever Jake Jewell will have surgery Saturday to repair a fractured right leg, an injury he sustained covering home plate Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Orioles: Reliever Darren O’Day (left hamstring strain) was moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. He is considering surgery, which would probably end his season.

ROSTER MOVES

The Orioles selected the contracts of relievers Paul Fry and Paul Meisinger from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned pitchers Jimmy Yacabonis and Yefry Ramirez to the same club. In addition, INF Corban Joseph was designated for assignment. Fry and Meisinger both made their major league debuts in this game.

UP NEXT

Angels: Tyler Skaggs (6-5, 2.69 ERA) Noah Fant Jersey , the starter Saturday, has gone seven innings and notched eight strikeouts in each of his last three outings.

Orioles: Andrew Cashner (2-8, 4.70) makes his sixth attempt at recording his third win. He has one victory since April 5.

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Texas native.

Desmond homered to lead off a six-run second against Yohander Mendez (0-1), the lefty making his first big league start.

DIAMONDBACKS 7, METS 3

PHOENIX (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt and Daniel Descalso homered, Zack Godley pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Arizona beat the staggering Mets.

The NL West leaders have won seven of eight and 11 of 14. New York has dropped four straight, 12 of 13 and 19 of 23.

After starting the season 11-1, the Mets (28-38) have gone from 10 games over .500 to 10 games under earlier than any team in major league history. The previous mark was held by the 2011 Marlins http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , who did it in their 76th game.

New York’s stagnant offense has mustered just 21 runs in the last 13 games, scoring three or fewer in 11 straight.

Goldschmidt has nine homers and 21 RBIs in his past 20 games. He also singled twice and drove in two runs.

Descalso had a sacrifice fly to go with a two-run homer off Seth Lugo (2-2) that put Arizona up 5-2 in the fifth. Jon Jay added three hits.

Dominic Smith homered and doubled for the Mets on his 23rd birthday.

Godley (7-5) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits while striking out eight. Brad Boxberger got one out for his 16th save.

TIGERS 4, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO (AP) – John Hicks homered and scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning as Detroit edged Chicago.

Victor Martinez had a two-run double to help the Tigers improve to 4-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field this season, and 6-1 overall against the White Sox. James McCann had three hits.

Buck Farmer (2-3) got an out in the seventh for the win and Alex Wilson pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth. Shane Greene pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances as the Tigers won their third straight.

Omar Narvaez hit a three-run homer for the White Sox. Juan Minaya (0-1) took the loss.

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