Pujols' 2 HRs Power Angels Past White Sox 8-1 For Sweep
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols hit a pair of two-run homers, Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels completed an emphatic three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with an 8-1 victory Sunday.
Pujols connected in the first and fourth innings of his 53rd multi-homer game. He has 577 career homers as he pursues Mark McGwire (583) for 10th place on baseball's career list.
Five Angels drove in a run while lighting up Jacob Turner (0-1) over the first five innings. He yielded seven hits and eight runs in his debut for the White Sox, who have lost four straight.
After their worst first half since 1992, the injury-plagued Halos (40-52) returned with three outstanding starts while outscoring Chicago 16-1.
Los Angeles has won seven of nine overall.
Omar Narvaez got his first big-league hit and scored Chicago's first run since July 9 on Adam Eaton's double in the third inning. The run ended a 34-inning scoreless streak for the White Sox, who have lost six of eight.
Weaver (8-7) limited the White Sox to six hits and one walk, repeatedly fooling overeager hitters into harmless popups. Hector Santiago, Matt Shoemaker and Weaver became the first consecutive Los Angeles starters to go seven innings since July 2015 during the Angels' first series sweep since mid-May.
Pujols opened the scoring with a 431-foot homer, his first since July 2. His second homer drove in Mike Trout, who snapped his longest hitless streak of the season (0 for 10) with a double off the wall moments earlier.
Pujols improved to 4-for-4 with three homers and six RBIs in his career against Turner, who hadn't pitched in the big leagues since 2014. He got promoted from Triple-A Charlotte for a spot start because Chicago manager Robin Ventura decided to give an extra day of rest to All-Star Game starter Chris Sale.
Narvaez got his milestone hit in his first career at-bat, driving a double to left-center. The 24-year-old Venezuelan catcher hadn't played for the White Sox since being recalled 11 days earlier.
Jett Bandy and Gregorio Petit had RBI doubles during the Angels' four-run fourth inning. Todd Cunningham added a double in the fifth for his first RBI with the Angels and his first in the big leagues since June 2, 2015.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Matt Davidson was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Turner on the roster. Davidson has a broken right foot.
Angels: Geovany Soto was scratched before the game with discomfort in his left knee. The former White Sox catcher had played in the previous two games after returning from right knee surgery.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Sale (14-3, 3.38 ERA) goes after his sixth victory in seven starts when Chicago begins a three-game series in Seattle.
Angels: Nick Tropeano (3-2, 3.12 ERA) will make his third start since returning to the rotation in early July when Los Angeles hosts Texas. Tropeano pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to beat the Rangers in Arlington back in May.
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