ANAHEIM -- Click -- the switch flipped.Just like that, with a couple of swift Mike Trout swings, a pair of Houston errors and a seven-run fifth inning, the Angels erased a three-run deficit and cruised to an easy 11-3 win over the Astros on Friday night at Angel Stadium.The win marked the Angels' season-high ninth victory in a row -- one that put them 37 games above .500 and 11 games ahead of Oakland in the American League West. The Angels' magic number to clinch the division is down to five. 
The switch has flipped for the offense, which has scored 76 runs in the eight games (9.5 per game) without Josh Hamilton. It has flipped during the games, with the Angels posting six-plus-run innings in four of their last six games.On Friday, it seemed to flip in the middle of the fourth inning.After the Astros jumped out to a 3-0 lead through 3 1/2 innings, nothing seemed to be going right for the Angels. C.J. Wilson needed 96 pitches to record 12 outs and the offense had zero baserunners.Click.The Angels scratched out two runs in the fourth before exploding for seven in the fifth and adding two in the sixth. In the fifth inning, the Angels sent 12 men to the plate and had two players (Erick Aybar and Chris Iannetta) reach twice.Of the seven Angels hits in the fifth, only two went for extra bases -- Mike Trout's RBI triple and David Freese's two-run home run -- as shaky Houston defense allowed the Halos to take the lead.With one out and men on first and second, Collin Cowgill lifted a fly ball to right, where Jake Marisnick seemed poised to make the routine out. But the ball glanced off Marisnick's glove and allowed one run to score and runners to advance to second and third. The Angels added six more runs to take a commanding six-run lead.The switch flipped for Angels pitchers, too. After giving up a run in the fourth, Wilson retired the Astros in order in the fifth. Mike Morin, Vinnie Pestano, Jairo Diaz and Cam Bedrosian shut down the Astros the rest of the way.Matthew DeFranks / MLB.com
The switch has flipped for the offense, which has scored 76 runs in the eight games (9.5 per game) without Josh Hamilton. It has flipped during the games, with the Angels posting six-plus-run innings in four of their last six games.On Friday, it seemed to flip in the middle of the fourth inning.After the Astros jumped out to a 3-0 lead through 3 1/2 innings, nothing seemed to be going right for the Angels. C.J. Wilson needed 96 pitches to record 12 outs and the offense had zero baserunners.Click.The Angels scratched out two runs in the fourth before exploding for seven in the fifth and adding two in the sixth. In the fifth inning, the Angels sent 12 men to the plate and had two players (Erick Aybar and Chris Iannetta) reach twice.Of the seven Angels hits in the fifth, only two went for extra bases -- Mike Trout's RBI triple and David Freese's two-run home run -- as shaky Houston defense allowed the Halos to take the lead.With one out and men on first and second, Collin Cowgill lifted a fly ball to right, where Jake Marisnick seemed poised to make the routine out. But the ball glanced off Marisnick's glove and allowed one run to score and runners to advance to second and third. The Angels added six more runs to take a commanding six-run lead.The switch flipped for Angels pitchers, too. After giving up a run in the fourth, Wilson retired the Astros in order in the fifth. Mike Morin, Vinnie Pestano, Jairo Diaz and Cam Bedrosian shut down the Astros the rest of the way.Matthew DeFranks / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
