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The Juice: Angels sweep Tigers after Trumbo’s walk-off homer in 13th

Mike Oz

The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

The Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels, heading into this season, were two of the favorites to represent the American League in the World Series. The Angels certainly hadn't been playing like it early on — winning only four of their first 14 games. That all changed, surprisingly enough, when the potent Tigers came to town.

The Angels pulled off a three-game sweep of Detroit this weekend, completing it in dramatic fashion Sunday — with a 13th-inning walk-off homer by Mark Trumbo that won the game 4-3. They almost managed to double their win total, now at 7-10. Success over the Tigers, 9-9 themselves after three straight losses, was a confidence boost for the Halos. Here's what Trumbo said, per MLB.com's William Boor:

"It's pretty well-chronicled that we've been struggling a little bit early on," Trumbo said. "But three wins against a team of this caliber, it's an excellent sign."

[Related: Should Verlander, other aces worry about lost velocity of fastballs?]

The Angels next host the Texas Rangers for three games, the team that sits atop the AL West. Three more wins could erase that sluggish start for Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols & Co.

Boston takes double lumps: After as good a Saturday as the Boston Red Sox could have hoped for — honoring the heroes of their city followed by late-inning heroics to win the game — Sunday was a bit of a bummer.

The Red Sox dropped two games to the Kansas City Royals (the doubleheader made necessary because Friday's game was postponed with the city on lockdown). The Royals won the first game 4-2. Ervin Santana shook off a rough first inning to get the win. The second game went to extra innings, with the Royals winning on a 10th-inning bases-loaded walk. Oops. The final score was 5-4.

Rockies win streak ends at eight: The Colorado Rockies, who could have owned baseball's best record with a win Sunday, fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4. The loss snapped Colorado's win streak at eight. Arizona got two runs in the top of the ninth to win, a Gerardo Parra sac-fly being the go-ahead moment. The Rockies (now
13-5) are tied with the Atlanta Braves for the best record in baseball. The Braves lost 4-2 in Pittsburgh.

Brewers sweep Cubs, own longest win streak: With the Rockies losing, and the hot Milwaukee Brewers continuing their winning ways, the Brew Crew now owns baseball's longest win streak at seven games. Ryan Braun hit a three-run homer, which was the difference-maker in the Brewers' 4-3 win over the Cubs.

MORE SCORES

Reds 10, Marlins 6: Reds get eight-run seventh to top Marlins.

Blue Jays 8, Yankees 4: Josh Johnson doesn't get obliterated. J.P. Arencibia, Colby Rasmus and Brett Lawrie get two hits each. Blue Jays baseball, y'all.

Mets 2, Nationals 0: Led by Gee and Buck — which sounds like a rap group — the Mets blank the Nats. Dillon Gee throws 5 2/3 scoreless and John Buck hits his seventh homer.

Pirates 4, Braves 2: Pirates take three of four from Atlanta, which isn't a typo.

Rays 8, A's 1: Roberto Hernandez gets his first win since the world knew him as Fausto Carmona (September 2011, specifically). Hopefully he got a card or cake.

Giants 5, Padres 0: Barry Zito goes seven scoreless again (third time this season) and Buster Posey hits his first homer of 2013.

Indians 5, Astros 4: Mark Reynolds hits the go-ahead homer in the seventh. He's almost hitting .300, for what that's worth.

[Related: Big contracts and big losses for Los Angeles baseball]

Twins 5, White Sox 3: Adam Dunn, who is not almost hitting .300, homers for the White Sox. Scott Diamond wins for the Twins.

Phillies 7, Cardinals 3: A four-run eighth, including an Erik Kratz homer, pushes the Phils to victory.

Rangers 11, Mariners 3: Aaron Harang gives up eight runs — including a Nelson Cruz grand slam — in 4 2/3 innings. He's all yours, Seattle.

Dodgers 7, Orioles 4: The Dodgers snap their six-game losing streak. Matt Kemp even gets three hits.

It was the Phillie Phanatic's birthday on Sunday — we don't know how old, a gentleman never asks — and the Phanatic dressed up like Hugh Hefner. Kids, a dinosaur, some sort of Dolly Parton and Jack Nicholson figures joined him to celebrate. We don't want to see the afterparty.

• Shin-Soo Choo of the Reds was hit by a pitch Sunday for the ninth time this season. He's played in 17 games.

• Since the beginning of 2012, Barry Zito has seven starts in which he pitched more than seven innings and didn't give up a run. That's one more than some dude named Justin Verlander.

• Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association donated $500,000 to The One Fund Boston, to aid relief in last week's attacks.

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