Trout beats Fish: His 16th homer helps Angels past Miami 5-2

MIAMI (AP) - With Mike Trout playing 2,700 miles from home, perhaps only half the crowd of 19,366 was rooting for him Saturday at Marlins Park.

“Hate Fish Love Trout,” read one fan’s sign.

There were boos when Trout was intentionally walked, and plenty of cheers when he hit his major league-leading 16th homer , which helped the Los Angeles Angels beat Miami 5-2.

Trout’s first-inning homer into the beer garden in left field off Vance Worley was estimated at 443 feet.

“He got most of that one,” manager Mike Scioscia dryly observed.

It nearly matched the 460-foot homer by Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton the previous night.

“I was looking for a fastball,” Trout said. “I got one.”

While the Angels made the most of eight hits, converted reliever J.C. Ramirez (5-3) limited Miami to an unearned run in seven innings, matching his longest outing this season.

“It’s hard to start a big league game and go seven innings,” Ramirez said. “But it’s getting easier.”

Closer Bud Norris, who left Friday’s game after three pitches because of a sore right knee, allowed a homer to Marcell Ozuna in the ninth but said his knee felt better.

“He felt it a little bit, but not nearly as bad as he did Friday,” Scioscia said.

Cameron Maybin put the Angels ahead to stay in the third when he tripled and scored on Andrelton Simmons’ groundout. Maybin also singled, stole two bases and scored three times. Simmons had an RBI double and was robbed of a possible homer by left fielder Ozuna .

Luis Valbuena hit a two-run single. Trout struck out twice but also reached on an infield single, raising his average to .342, as Los Angeles (26-26) reached the .500 mark for the 12th time this season.

“We’re just trying to win series,” Trout said.

The Marlins were bidding for their first two-game winning streak since April 23 but instead fell to 7-15 at home, worst in the majors. Worley (0-2), pitching his second game of the year, allowed two hits and two runs and likely earned another start.

“I felt I kept the team in it,” he said.

SUZUKI’S WOES

Ichiro Suzuki grounded out pinch-hitting for Miami with two on to end the seventh. He is 4 for 29 (.138) as a pinch hitter and is hitting .148 overall in 61 at-bats.

BAD BASERUNNING, GOOD DEFENSE

The Marlins trailed 2-1 when they loaded the bases with two out in the fifth and had Stanton at the plate, but catcher Martin Maldonado picked Dee Gordon off first base to end the threat. Gordon was initially ruled safe before the call was reversed by a replay review.

“The play speaks for itself,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s not a great baseball play - 2-1 game and Giancarlo is up with the bases loaded.”

Maldonado also scrambled to field Christian Colon’s topper, then spun and threw him out, and Simmons went deep in the hole to field Stanton’s grounder and throw him out.

ROSTER MOVE

Before the game, the Angels reinstated RHP Mike Morin (neck) from the disabled list and optioned RHP Daniel Wright to Triple-A Salt Lake.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Maldonado, who hurt his left thumb on a tag at the plate Friday but stayed in the game, was back in the lineup after X-rays were negative. … Maybin (right knee) was back in the lineup after missing one start. … RHP Cam Bedrosian (groin) faced hitters for the first time since going on the DL when he pitched Saturday in extended spring training. He’s expected to soon begin a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker (4-2, 3.97), who has won his past three starts, is scheduled to pitch in the rubber game of the series Sunday against RHP Jose Urena (2-2, 3.08).

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