TORONTO (AP) - In one weekend, the Blue Jays have gone from streaking to slumping.
Jered Weaver won his fourth straight decision, Hank Conger hit a three-run home run and had a career-high five RBIs, and the Los Angeles Angels beat Toronto 9-3 Sunday for their seventh straight win over the Blue Jays.
Toronto has lost three consecutive games since winning a season-high five straight.
“That’s the way it goes in this business,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “You think everything’s going in the right direction and all of sudden, wham, you run into some pretty good pitching and a good offense.”
One day after left-hander J.A. Happ was knocked out in the third inning, the Blue Jays put their bullpen to work again after an abbreviated start by Drew Hutchison, who lasted 4 1-3.
Hutchison (1-3), who has not won in seven starts, allowed three runs and three hits. He matched a career-high with four walks and struck out five.
“My command wasn’t what it normally is or what I’d expect,” Hutchison said.
Howie Kendrick had three hits, two stolen bases and scored three times as the Angels won their third straight, matching their longest streak of the season, and beat Toronto for the 10th time in 11 meetings.
“They’ve been taking it to us,” Gibbons said, adding that his team looked “tired.”
Toronto’s Jose Bautista finished 0 for 4, the first time in 38 games this season that he has failed to reach safely. Bautista’s season-opening streak is the longest since Albert Pujols reached safely in 41 games to begin 2008.
Los Angeles will go for a sweep in the four game series Monday night when C.J. Wilson (4-2) faces Toronto’s Mark Buehrle (6-1) in a battle of left-handers.
Weaver (4-2) improved to 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his past four starts. He allowed one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings, walked two and struck out five.
“I thought he mixed and matched,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who returned after missing two games to attend his daughter’s college graduation. “He definitely went through a tough lineup. His ability to locate and change speeds got him through most of the game.”
Conger went 3 for 4 with a walk. He hit an RBI double in the fourth, homered in the sixth and added an RBI single in the ninth.
Starting at designated hitter, Mike Trout snapped a 4 for 32 slump with an RBI double in the fifth but struck out four times.
The Blue Jays opened the scoring thanks to the speed of Jose Reyes in the first. Reyes hit a leadoff single, stole second and was running on the pitch when Bautista hit a slow roller to second. Kendrick retired Bautista before Pujols threw home, but Reyes slid in safely.
The Angels took the lead with a two-out rally in the fourth, when Efren Navarro and Conger hit back-to-back RBI doubles.
Hutchison (1-3) walked Collin Cowgill to begin the fifth and was replaced after Erick Aybar singled Cowgill to third. Marcus Stroman came on and gave up Trout’s double.
Stroman was hit hard in the sixth as the Angels scored four runs on five hits. Kendrick and Navarro led off with consecutive singles before Conger homered. Ian Stewart snapped an 0-for-24 slump with a triple off the wall and scored on Cowgill’s single.
Angels third baseman Ian Stewart left the game after he was hit on the left hand on a swinging strike in the seventh. He was replaced by John McDonald.
X-rays were negative but Scioscia said it was too soon to say whether Stewart would land on the disabled list.
“It’s pretty sore,” Scioscia said. “It hit him pretty flush.”
NOTES: Weaver is 9-2 with an 3.48 ERA in 11 career starts against the Blue Jays. … Toronto put RH Sergio Santos (forearm) on the 15-day DL following the game. A corresponding move will be made Monday. … Before the game, the Blue Jays activated RH Casey Janssen (back) off the 15-day DL and designated 2B Chris Getz for assignment. … Buehrle’s mother, Pat, threw out the first pitch on Mother’s Day, then autographed the ball for her son.
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