ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout helped secure home field advantage for the American League in the World Series with his MVP performance in the All-Star Game. Now all the Angels have to do is get to the Fall Classic.
Efren Navarro singled home a run with two outs in the 16th inning on Friday night, and the Los Angeles Angels came out of the All-Star break with a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners — and a new closer.
After the 10th inning, the Angels announced they had acquired two-time All-Star Huston Street from the San Diego Padres in a multiplayer deal that included five minor leaguers. The Angels also get pitcher Trevor Gott, and the Padres get pitchers R.J. Alvarez and Elliot Morris, along with infielders Taylor Lindsey and Jose Rondon.
“Were it not for the fact that we had the ability to control Huston for a year and two months, it would have been far more difficult to justify giving up the type of package that we gave up to get him,” Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “We had to get a guy like Trevor Gott included in the deal to replace some of that lost value.
“Huston’s 30 years old, and arguably having his best season as a major leaguer,” Dipoto added. “He’s been one of the more consistent closers in baseball over time and one of the highest percentage conversion guys in the league for a number of years. I feel really strong about his character and what he brings to the clubhouse. It really deepens the back end of our bullpen and it gives us the opportunity to make games shorter.”
One of the more enthusiastic Angels following the trade was Jered Weaver, who was charged with two runs and six hits in six-plus innings and struck out eight.
“Obviously, it’s tremendous any time you can add a guy like that to your bullpen. We’ll take that any day of the week,” Weaver said.
Dominic Leone (2-2) gave up a one-out double to Trout in the 16th and intentionally walked Josh Hamilton with two out after a comebacker by Albert Pujols. Navarro batted for John McDonald and stroked the first pitch up the middle to bring home Trout.
Hector Santiago (2-7), the ninth Angels pitcher, allowed one hit over 2 1/3 innings to get the victory.
Mariners righty Tom Wilhelmsen allowed one hit over four innings, struck out four and threw 51 pitches in the longest of his 192 big league appearances.
“It was a tough one. We all are doing everything we can to win,” Wilhelmsen said. “Everybody is. I told him (manager Lloyd McClendon) had another inning in me. I can’t remember the last time I pitched four innings. It’s been a long time.”
The Angels have won six straight, and are a major league-best 27-9 since June 6.
Robinson Cano, who was 4 for 6 with a walk, greeted Jason Grilli with a leadoff drive to right-center in the 10th and got to second with a pop-up slide. But shortstop McDonald, who had entered the game as a pinch-runner for the injured Erick Aybar, kept his glove on Cano after getting Trout’s relay from center field. Scioscia requested a video review, and Cano was ruled out.
Seattle righty Hisashi Iwakuma allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings and was lifted after just 77 pitches. The new no-collision rule played a huge part in the Angels scoring the game’s first run, after Hendrick led off their two-run fifth with a single and came all the way around on Freese’s double to the wall in right-center.
Second baseman Cano got the relay from right fielder Chavez and got the ball to the plate in plenty of time to get Kendrick, who jarred the ball loose from Mike Zunino’s glove on an attempted sweep tag. Freese continued to third on Zunino’s error and scored on Hank Conger’s single through a drawn-in infield.
NOTES: The worst-line-of-the-night award went to Mariners 3B Kyle Seager, who was 0 for 7 with three strikeouts. … The Angels agreed to terms with LHP Sean Newcomb, their No.1 draft pick last month and the 15th overall selection. … When Weaver threw a called third strike past James Jones in the fourth, he became the second Angels pitcher with at least 100 strikeouts in nine consecutive seasons. LHP Chuck Finley had a 12-year streak from 1988 through 1999. All-time strikeout king Nolan Ryan spent eight seasons with the Halos.
