LOS ANGELES _ Still treating his recently strained left hamstring with care, Justin Turner never ran faster than a jog Friday night.
This time, he didn't need to.
Turner produced his 10th career multiple home run game in the Los Angeles Dodgers' Freeway Series-opening 9-5 victory over the Angels at Dodger Stadium, twice taking a stroll around the bases before a planned early removal at the start of the sixth inning.
After five consecutive games as the designated hitter following his Sept. 15 activation from the injured list, Friday was the third straight game in which Turner played fewer than nine defensive innings. Manager Dave Roberts said he expects Turner to play a full game Saturday and get a more trips to the plate Sunday.
That's good news for the Dodgers. Because the way the 35-year-old is swinging the bat right now, they'll want to give him as many at-bats as they can.
In his eight games since returning from the IL, Turner is 12 for 28 (.429) with two doubles, two homers and three RBIs. He has struck out only four times in 31 plate appearances. And he's slid right back into the No. 3 spot in the lineup without a hitch.
His first home run Friday came in the third. After Mike Trout belted a three-run blast in the top half of the frame _ giving the Angels a 3-1 lead against Clayton Kershaw and a faint hope that their longshot playoff chances weren't yet dead _ Turner skied a solo homer into the Dodgers' left-field bullpen.
Two innings later, he made it a one-run game again, crushing another solo shot high up the left-field bleachers.
It was the first of three runs in the inning for the Dodgers, who took the lead for good two at-bats later on a two-run homer from Will Smith. The Dodgers hit five homers in all.
The loss ended the Angels' slim playoff hopes. Entering the weekend in need of a sweep over the Dodgers and three Astros defeats to overtake second-place Houston in the AL West, the Angels had already survived one close call earlier Friday night when the Texas Rangers erased a ninth-inning Astros lead before winning in 10.
