 allowed just one run and nine hits, and struck out four with no walks. The left-hander has gone at least seven innings in three of his last four starts.The Angels got on the scoreboard with a two-run first inning, giving Heaney all the support he would need. Justin Upton drew a two-out walk and Albert Pujols doubled him in. Luis Valbuena singled in Pujols from second to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.The Blue Jays had things going in the seventh when Devon Travis hit a run-scoring double to right field to pull Toronto within a run at 2-1. But with runners on first and second, Heaney struck out Justin Smoak and got Yangervis Solarte to fly out to left field. Heaney punctuated Upton's catch in left field with a fist pump - and his night was done.Cam Bedrosian threw a perfect eighth in relief, and Blake Parker pitched a perfect ninth to earn his ninth save.Marco Estrada (4-7) had a fine start, too. He allowed just two earned runs and three hits in seven innings and struck out seven.Upton also made a fantastic, leaping catch against the left-field fence to rob Russell Martin of a potential home run in the second inning.Andrelton Simmons struck out in the fourth inning, a rarity for the Angels shortstop. It was his first strikeout since May 18, a span of 90 plate appearances. It was the fourth-longest streak in club history.The Blue Jays have lost 13 of their 14 games against left-handed starters.TRAINER'S ROOMBlue Jays: RHP Danny Barnes (knee tendinitis) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. ... OF Steve Pearce (left oblique strain) was activated from the 10-day disabled list. ... INF Josh Donaldson (calf tightness) is rehabbing in Florida and not scheduled to return on the team's road trip, but possibly the Blue Jays' next homestand.Angels: RHP Shohei Ohtani (elbow) stood in the batter's box in the bullpen and watched pitches to work on his timing while he's on the disabled list. He's also running to stay in shape. He's scheduled to have his elbow re-evaluated Thursday. ... LHP Tyler Skaggs, who was scratched on the day of his scheduled start on Thursday with tightness in a hamstring, threw long toss and will throw a bullpen session on Saturday.UP NEXTBlue Jays: LHP Marcus Stroman (0-5, 7.71) is still looking for his first win of the season. It's his first start since May 8, when he was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder fatigue.Angels: RHP Jaime Barria (5-3, 3.57) is tied for the AL lead for rookies with wins. In his last start, he allowed a career-high six earned runs on six hits over four innings in a loss to Arizona.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
TICKETSTICKETSTrout rolling as Angels face Blue Jays 22m ago• 2 min read Already the owner of two American League Most Valuable Player awards by age 25, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout is showing there's always room for improvement.Trout is having the best offensive month of his major-league career heading into the second game of a four-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.The Angels (40-35) won the series opener 8-5 on Thursday night at Angel Stadium, getting two home runs from Luis Valbuena and another from Kole Calhoun for the second straight game.Trout went 0-for-2 but drew three walks and scored two runs against the Blue Jays (34-40).Trout is hitting .433 in June with five home runs and 12 RBIs. His on-base percentage rose to .471 for the season.Trout's previous best batting average for a month was .392 in July of 2012, his first full season in the majors. He also had 10 home runs and 23 RBIs during that stretch.A big difference in Trout's game this season has been his walk-to-strikeout ratio. He had 12 walks and 21 strikeouts in July 2012 but has 17 walks and 13 strikeouts so far this month."I'm just trying to look for my pitch, and if it's not there, I'm just taking my walks," Trout told reporters earlier this week. "For me, if I try to expand the strike zone, that's when I get in trouble." Trout has also done well in his career against Toronto's scheduled starter on Friday night, Marco Estrada. Trout is 4-for-10 with two home runs off the right-hander.Estrada (4-6, 4.66 ERA) will try to stay on a roll after winning his past two starts. He went eight consecutive outings without earning a win before this latest stretch.His last start may have been his best of the season. He threw 6 2/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 win on Saturday against the visiting Washington Nationals, out-dueling right-hander Max Scherzer, who leads the National League with 10 wins.Estrada faced the visiting Angels during his winless stretch four weeks ago and surrendered four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Toronto went on to lose 8-1.Estrada is 1-2 in his career against the Angels with a 6.95 ERA, his highest against any AL team.Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is 4-for-10 in his career against Estrada, and shortstop Andrelton Simmons is 6-for-12."For four years now, every single day, when Marco Estrada's time comes around, he gives all he has," Toronto second baseman Devon Travis told Sportsnet after the win against the Nationals last weekend.Angels starter Andrew Heaney was matched against Estrada in his only career appearance against the Blue Jays and it didn't go well for the left-hander. He gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings of the 15-3 loss in Anaheim on Aug. 22, 2015.Heaney (3-5, 3.64) was in line to win his last outing after allowing three runs and three hits in eight innings against the Oakland A's on Sunday, but the bullpen gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth before Oakland won in the 11th.
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