ANAHEIM – – Angels superstar Mike Trout and veteran slugger Jorge Soler have both been looking to unlock their usual power numbers this season but haven’t quite provided the thunder they’ve been accustomed to over the years.
But they both took a big step toward that on Wednesday, as Trout homered twice and Soler connected on a go-ahead two-run blast in the eighth to help lift the Angels to a 11-8 win over the Rangers at Angel Stadium. It was a wild back-and-forth game that saw six lead changes but Soler’s homer in the eighth off reliever Luke Jackson proved to be the difference.
“It was huge,” said interim manager Ray Montgomery. “The offense obviously picked us up big tonight, and to bounce back after last night was great. We live and die by the home run, and we were able to get a few tonight.”
It marked Trout’s club record 27th career multihomer game and his third this season but his first since April 19. Trout has been a constant presence as designated hitter since missing a month with a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee. He’s hit .280/.421/.464 with seven homers, two doubles and 18 RBIs over his last 37 games since rejoining the lineup.
But his homers tend to come in bunches and he also went deep on Sunday in Toronto, suggesting he could be the precipice of a surge in power. Before suffering his knee injury while running to first base on April 30, Trout was displaying power but wasn’t hitting for average or drawing walks. Altogether, he’s batting .234/.354/.463 with 16 homers, three doubles and 36 RBIs in 66 games, while his career slash line is .296/.408/.576.
“I’m seeing the ball and as long as I’m putting good swings on it, the power numbers will come,” Trout said. “Just keep barreling up balls and good things will happen.”
Trout, 33, is also inching closer to reaching the 400-homer milestone, as he’s now up to 394 in his 15-year career. The only active Major Leaguer to reach that mark is the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton with 431. He’s homered 46 times against the Rangers, which is a franchise record since they moved to Texas in 1972. Only Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson (54) and Harmon Killebrew (48) have homered more times against the Senators/Rangers.
“We were joking around after I hit two tonight that I have six more to go,” Trout said. “But I don’t think about it while I’m in the box.”
His first homer came as part of a four-run third inning against right-hander Kumar Rocker. After a sacrifice fly from Nolan Schanuel, Trout got a hanging cutter at the bottom of the zone from Rocker and deposited it a Statcast-projected 426 feet to center. Jo Adell also added an RBI double that inning that left the bat at 113.3 mph.
Trout’s second blast gave the Angels a one-run lead in the fifth inning and ended Rocker’s night after 4 1/3 innings. This time, Rocker left a sinker over the middle of the plate and Trout crushed it to the opposite field.
“We know what he’s capable of at any given AB,” Montgomery said. “He can change the game any time he’s in the box. And tonight was awesome. It’s good to see him drive the ball the other day like that too.”
He came up with the chance to give the Angels the lead in the seventh with two runners on and one out and the Rangers brought in right-handed reliever Chris Martin to face him. Trout flied out to deep center field but it advanced both runners, which helped set up Taylor Ward to tie the game with a two-run single.
Soler, meanwhile, has been forced into more action than he’s used to in right field because Trout hasn’t been able to play the position since his return from the IL. Soler was acquired in a trade with the Braves in the offseason to provide some thump in the lineup but it’s mostly been a struggle for him offensively.
Soler, though, crushed his 10th homer of the season on a 3-1 slider and is hitting .207/.284/.368 with 31 RBIs in 75 games, which is below his career line of .240/.328/.457.
“It’s been a little bit complicated but I’m being available the best way I can,” Soler said through interpreter Marco Peralta. “Whatever the team needs me for, I’m going to do whatever they need me to do, and I’m going to find that balance.”