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Valbuena blasts two homers as Angels top Jays

Luis Valbuena hit two homers and drove in three runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night in Anaheim, Calif.

The Angels had nine hits in all, with five going for extra bases. Kole Calhoun homered for the second night in a row, and Justin Upton and Martin Maldonado each contributed a double.

Mike Trout, starting as the Angels' designated hitter for the second night in a row because of a sprained index finger on his right hand, did not have a hit in the game. However, Trout, whose injured finger affects his throwing, walked three times and scored twice while playing in his 1,000th career game.

Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez lasted just one inning, coming out of the game because of a contusion on the index finger of his right hand. Sanchez had given up two runs in the first inning, Trout scoring on a wild pitch and Albert Pujols adding an RBI single. X-rays of Sanchez's finger were negative.

The Angels' scheduled starter, Tyler Skaggs, didn't even last as long as Sanchez. Skaggs was a pregame scratch because of a tight hamstring, so John Lamb moved up one day from his scheduled start Friday to start Thursday.

Lamb went 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four. Noe Ramirez (3-3) got the win after retiring all eight batters he faced. Justin Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.

Despite falling in a 2-0 hole in the first inning, the Blue Jays rallied to take a 3-2 lead with single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Aledmys Diaz had an RBI double in the second, Justin Smoak an RBI double in the third and Randal Grichuk a solo homer in the fourth.

The Angels took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer by Calhoun, then added two more in the fifth on Valbuena's first homer of the night.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (seventh inning) and ex-Angel Kendrys Morales (eighth inning) each homered late in the game for Toronto.

Valbuena went deep again in the seventh.

--Field Level Media