ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The Angels' switch-hitting second baseman, Danny Espinosa, was batting right-handed on Saturday night when he hit a 106 mph cue shot into left field. That was the hardest he'd hit a ball this year. Espinosa wound up on second base with a double, ending a miserable streak of 36 at-bats without a hit.
Whatever got into Espinosa's swing somehow carried over into the other batter's box Sunday. He was batting left-handed against Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander when he hit a baseball 110 mph. This time, the ball landed several rows up the bleacher seats in right field for a home run. Espinosa hadn't homered from either side of the plate since April 13.
More than a personal milestone, Espinosa's home run gave the Angels a lead they never relinquished in a 4-1 win over the Tigers.
Right-hander Alex Meyer (2-1) made his best start of the season as the Angels forged a split of the four-game series. Meyer pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his 10th career start, allowing only one run over 6 1/3 innings while striking out seven batters.
Meyer lowered his earned- run average from 7.62 to 5.59 with the victory.
Detroit scored its only run against Meyer in its first two at-bats. Ian Kinsler hit Meyer's first pitch for a ground-rule double, a one-hopper into the seats in the left field corner. The next batter, Nick Castellanos, hit an RBI single into right field with Espinosa shaded up the middle.
The Angels answered in the bottom of the first inning on Mike Trout's 11th home run of the season _ his third in three games since returning from the disabled list.
Trout also stole two bases, giving him 175 steals for his career. Only he and Alex Rodriguez have hit at least 175 home runs and stolen at least 150 bases before their age-26 season.
While Espinosa's home run padded the Angels' lead, Meyer settled into his groove. He retired 10 batters in a row before James McCann's double in the seventh inning ended his day. Meyer picked Castellanos off first base in the first inning, and got more help when Dixon Machado was caught stealing in the third.
The Angels chased Verlander (3-3) by scoring two more runs in the seventh inning: one on an RBI single by Andrelton Simmons, another on a sacrifice fly by Trout.
Trout was also hit by a pitch and drew a walk, reaching base three times. He served as the designated hitter on a rare day off for Albert Pujols, who left the team for personal reasons but is expected back Monday.
Bud Norris pitched a perfect ninth inning for his seventh save of the season.
