OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Albert Pujols hit a two-run drive to make him one of four players with 10 career 35-homer seasons, and the Los Angeles Angels jumped on AL ERA leader Sonny Gray from the start to beat the Oakland Athletics 9-4 Wednesday.
Pujols had an RBI single in the first inning, then hit his 555th career homer in the second. He joined Hall of Famers Willie Mays (10) and Mike Schmidt (11) and Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez (12) to have reached 35 home runs in 10 or more years.
Andrew Heaney (6-2) struck out six and didn’t walk a batter in seven innings to end a six-start winless stretch. He had gone 0-2 since a victory against Texas on July 26.
Gray (12-7) lost his third straight decision, matching his career high with six earned runs allowed for the first time since exactly a year earlier on Sept. 2, 2014, at Seattle.
The All-Star righty gave up four straight singles to start the game. Gray’s wild pitch scored the first of four runs in the inning.