ANAHEIM, Calif. — When Felix Hernandez is pitching, the Los Angeles Angels will take a win any way they can get it.
Held to one hit over six innings by the All-Star right-hander, the Angels squeaked out a 3-2 victory Sunday as Kole Calhoun scored on a wild pitch by Tom Wilhelmsen in the 10th inning after Albert Pujols grounded into a bases-loaded double play against a five-man infield.
Four players in the Angels’ lineup came in with some brutal career numbers against Hernandez. Calhoun was 1 for 21, David Freese was 0 for 15, and Chris Iannetta and Matt Joyce each 2 for 24. They ended up a combined 0 for 6 with three walks against Hernandez on Sunday.
“They’re tough odds, but that’s why it’s a beautiful game. We get to go out there and take our cracks at him,” Calhoun said. “He’s got some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen. So anytime you can win a game that Felix starts, it’s a good day.”
Johnny Giavotella led off the 10th with a line-drive single off Wilhelmsen’s glove. Calhoun followed with a hit-and-run single that put runners at the corners, and Mike Trout was intentionally walked for the second straight time.
Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon then motioned left fielder Dustin Ackley in for a five-man infield, and Pujols grounded into a 6-2-3 double play started by shortstop Brad Miller. But Wilhelmsen (1-2) uncorked his first wild pitch of the season on a full count with runners at second and third and rookie Kyle Kubitza at the plate.
“All I was thinking about there was that they were just waiting for fastballs, so I’m just going to throw off-speed stuff,” Wilhelmsen said. “I switched to the changeup, and it cut on me instead of ran away. The ball usually doesn’t do that, but it did today. Pretty costly.”
Trevor Gott (1-0) earned his first major league victory with a perfect 10th inning.
The Angels tied the score 1-all in the seventh with an RBI single by pinch-hitter Erick Aybar against Mark Lowe. The run was changed to Charlie Furbush, who hit Freese with a pitch to open the inning.
Calhoun put Los Angeles ahead 2-1 in the eighth with an RBI single off Joe Beimel, but closer Huston Street gave up Kyle Seager’s 12th homer in the ninth after striking out Robinson Cano and retiring Nelson Cruz.
The blown save was the third in 24 opportunities this season for Street, who remains four saves shy of 300.
“Kyle Seager’s a great player. I left a pitch right down the middle and he did what you’re supposed to do in that situation — you put it in the bleachers,” Street said. “I’m not upset at all, honestly. I mean, you’re upset when it happens, but when you win the game, I don’t care. You can’t care. There’s no reason to care. We won, that’s the point of today. I preach that all the time.”
Angels lefty Hector Santiago retired his first 10 batters before giving up a one-out single in the fourth to Franklin Gutierrez, a walk to Cano and an RBI double by Cruz.
“My whole goal out there was to get deep in the game and give us a chance to win,” Santiago said. “When you’re facing Felix, you almost have to pitch a perfect game to compete with him. I made some good pitches when I needed to and got some big outs.”
Hernandez issued a leadoff walk in the sixth to Calhoun, then got a visit from McClendon with a 2-0 count on Trout, who grounded into a double play on a 3-0 delivery before Pujols flied out on Hernandez’s 96th and final pitch.
On his way back to the dugout, Hernandez walked over to Pujols near first base and shared a lighthearted moment. The three-time NL MVP has hit one of his 543 career homers in 45 at-bats against the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner.
“That’s just a great grind-out win against an incredible pitcher,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Cano showed no ill effects after getting knocked out of Saturday’s game. He was sitting in the dugout talking to Gutierrez before the start of the seventh inning when an errant warmup throw past first base from shortstop Taylor Featherston struck Cano in the left temple.
UP NEXT
Mariners rookie LHP Mike Montgomery (2-2) takes his 2.02 ERA into the opener of a two-game set at San Diego on Tuesday night, one day before his 26th birthday. He is coming off a 7-0 victory over Kansas City in which he pitched a five-hitter and struck out 10 without walking a batter in his fifth big league start.
