|
|
|
|
 |
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Weekly Lineup Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search Clubhouses |
| Sport Sections |
|
|
| |
Tuesday, Aug. 29 10:05pm ET
Red-hot Erstad reaches 200 hits | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Darin Erstad doesn't know how he keeps doing it, and he doesn't really care. Erstad went 3-for-5 to reach 200 hits faster than any player in 65 years as the Anaheim Angels rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-4 Tuesday night. "The hits are just falling," said Erstad, only two hits shy of Alex Johnson's 1970 club record. "For some reason, they're finding holes this year. Last year, they didn't find anything. "I'm just having a better approach up there, and I'm taking better passes at a lot of the pitches that I was making outs on last year. It's all about finding the holes." Erstad has been played the last three games as a DH because of a sore ribcage that prevents him from throwing, but he is 8-for-13 during that span. "Darin is the most focused of any ballplayer I've ever played with," teammate Mo Vaughn said. "I told him that I had 200 hits twice, but it took me till the last week in September to get mine. So, what he's done has been unbelievable. To have 200 hits before this month ends is a tremendous credit to him." The Angels trailed 4-0 before Troy Glaus hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning and Vaughn tied it with a solo shot in the fifth. Anaheim broke it open with four runs in the sixth, capped by Erstad's two-run single. He reached 200 hits in Anaheim's 132nd game -- the fastest since the Cardinals' Ducky Medwick did it in 131 games in 1935. "It wasn't one of my goals," he said. "It wasn't like I sat at home in the offseason and say 'I'm going to get 200 hits this year.' I don't walk very much, so you need hits to get on base -- especially being a leadoff hitter." Glaus walked with one out in the sixth off Chris Carpenter (9-11) and scored on Adam Kennedy's line-drive double past the glove of first baseman Carlos Delgado. Bengie Molina greeted Paul Quantrill with an RBI single, Kevin Stocker followed with a double and Erstad hit a two-run single off Mark Guthrie to make it 8-4. "We've got a lot of guys on our team that can do some damage, so I'm a benefactor of that," Erstad said. "They've got to pitch to me, so I've got to be patient and take advantage of the ones I do get. They're not going to pitch around me to get to those guys." Mike Holtz (2-2) retired Dave Martinez with the bases loaded -- the only batter he faced -- to end the sixth for the win. Carpenter, starting for the first time since being demoted to the bullpen on Aug. 3, allowed six runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Glaus' 38th homer put him within one of the club record Reggie Jackson set in 1982. Vaughn's 32nd home run left him needing one RBI to reach the 100 mark for the sixth time in his career. The first inning was an eventful one for the Blue Jays, in terms of milestones. Dave Martinez had an RBI single that gave him at least one hit in all 19 games he has played for Toronto since the Aug. 5 trade from Texas -- and equaled the longest hitting streak of his career. "The thing that impresses me the most about him is something that isn't tangible," Delgado said. "He fills up that spot in that lineup left by (injured Raul) Mondesi, and put everybody back in their usual spots -- which has brought a lot of stability to our ballclub. And you can't see that in the stats." Delgado followed with a double for his 400th career extra-base hit and 88th this season, breaking the club record set last year by Shawn Green. Toronto increased its margin to 4-0 in the third with five consecutive one-out hits to chase Scott Karl, who allowed four runs and nine hits in 2 1-3 innings of his Angels debut. Game notesErstad is the fastest AL player to reach 200 since Al Simmons of the Philadelphia A's did it in 125 games in 1925. ... The Angels won for the 12th time after trailing by at least three runs. ... The Blue Jays fell to 6-18 in games when they did not homer. They lead the majors with 217 homers and need four more to tie the club record. Martinez is the first player in Toronto history to hit safely in his first 19 games with the club. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Toronto Clubhouse Anaheim Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 8 Tampa Bay 0
Anaheim 9
| |||||