Conger drives in five runs to lead Los Angeles Angels past Blue Jays 9-3

TORONTO – Hank Conger homered and drove in five runs to power the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.

Conger had a run-scoring double in the fourth to put the Angels ahead 3-1, then belted a three-run shot in the sixth to make it 6-1 before a Rogers Centre gathering of 20,871. He singled to drive in another run in the ninth that put Los Angeles ahead 8-3.

Drew Hutchison (1-3) yielded just three hits but struggled with his command and lasted only 4 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs and four walks while fanning five before giving way to rookie Marcus Stroman, who surrendered four runs over 1 2/3 innings.

L.A. (19-17) earned its third straight over Toronto (18-20) and will look for the sweep Monday night. The Blue Jays came into the four-game series having won a season-high five consecutive contests.

Angels’ veteran right-hander Jered Weaver (4-2) gave up a run in the first but yielded nothing more over 6-1/3 innings.

Toronto slugger Jose Bautista entered Sunday’s game having reached base safely in all 37 games this season to lead the majors. But that club record was snapped Sunday as Bautista went 0-for-4 with an RBI.

Toronto opened the scoring in the first.

Jose Reyes led off with a sharp single to left field, then stole second on the next pitch. With one out, Reyes got a great jump off Weaver as Bautista cued one off the end of his bat to second. As the Angels’ Howie Kendrick scooped up the ground ball and tossed it to first, Reyes broke from third and slid head-first ahead of first baseman Albert Pujols’ throw.

L.A. took the lead in the fourth, combining a walk and their first two hits of the day, all with two out.

Efren Navarro doubled into the left-field corner to score Howie Kendrick, who walked, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Dioner Navarro’s throwing error. One pitch later, Conger doubled to bring in Navarro with the go-ahead run.

The Angels ended Hutchison’s afternoon in the fifth. Collin Cowgill, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a walk and went to third on a sharp single by Erick Aybar, which chased Hutchison. Aybar scored on Mike Trout’s double off Stroman.

L.A. blew it open in the sixth, sending eight men to the plate and scoring four runs off Stroman for a 7-1 lead. The big blast came from Conger, who belted a 93 mile-per-hour fastball over the right centre-field wall.

Toronto threatened in the seventh, loading the bases and chasing Weaver with one out. But right-handed reliever Michael Kohn got Colby Rasmus to pop out behind second before Steve Tolleson struck out looking.

Edwin Ercarnacion pulled Toronto to within 7-3 with a two-run double in the eighth but L.A. countered with two in the ninth.

NOTES — The Angels send left-hander C.J. Wilson (4-2, 3.21 ERA) to the mound against Toronto’s Mark Buehrle (6-1, 1.91) on Monday night . . . Toronto closer Casey Janssen (left abdominal/lower back strain) returned from the 15-day disabled list prior to Sunday’s game. To make run for him on the 25-man roster, infielder Chris Getz was designated for assignment . . . Tolleson, who signed as a free agent this off-season, came into Sunday’s game batting .429 with all six of his hits with Toronto having gone for extra bases — four doubles, two triples. That made him the first player since Chris Dickerson with Cincinnati in ’08 to do that with his new team.