ANAHEIM, Calif. — Albert Pujols had an RBI double among his four hits, Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer, and the surging Los Angeles Angels pounded out a season-high 21 hits in an 11-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
Alberto Callaspo matched his career high with four hits, driving in two runs during the Angels' seven-run sixth inning. Peter Bourjos had three hits as Los Angeles battered Aaron Harang (3-7) and the Seattle bullpen in its fourth victory in five games.
Jason Vargas (6-4) yielded four hits and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in seven strong innings, easily beating his former teammates in his second start against the Mariners since an offseason trade.
Nick Franklin hit an early two-run homer for Seattle in the opener of a four-game AL West series.
Howie Kendrick and Mike Trout drove in early runs as the Angels got a hit from all nine spots in their big-budget lineup. Los Angeles has 67 hits and 36 runs in its last five games after its first 20-hit performance in a nine-inning game since 2008.
Trout also scored his 200th career run in the sixth, reaching the milestone in just 249 games — the quickest major leaguer to the mark since 1940. Only seven players since 1916 reached 200 runs more quickly than last season's AL Rookie of the Year, and five of those players are in the Hall of Fame, including Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Lloyd Waner.
Erick Aybar and Chris Iannetta had run-scoring singles during the sixth, and they both scored on Franklin's throwing error on Trout's bases-loaded grounder. Callaspo also had a two-run single in the sixth while emphatically snapping a 10-for-64 skid.
Even Brendan Harris snapped an 0-for-24 skid with a pinch-hit single in the seventh. Los Angeles had its first 20-hit game since last Aug. 23 at Boston, and seven Angels drove in a run.
