Albert Pujols plunked in head, powers Angels past Rangers

ANAHEIM >> Although there is plenty of negative surrounding this Angels season – and they got more bad news on Tuesday – every once in a while they show you their good side.

The Angels showed what they promised to be back when they envisioned a lineup with Albert Pujols in the middle.

Pujols hit two three-run home runs, his second multihomer game in three days, in the Angels’ 8-6 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday, their season-best fifth straight.

Just hours after the club was dealt another harsh blow, with the loss of starter Nick Tropeano to a serious elbow injury, the hitters kept plugging along and carrying the team.

The Angels have scored 33 runs in five games since the All-Star break. Pujols has driven in 11 of them. His team-leading 71 RBIs put him on a pace for 122.

“He’s quietly having another incredible season,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Look where he is in RBIs. Look at the production numbers of Albert. That’s what you’d expect. And, more importantly, he’s getting Mike pitches to hit.”

In fact, this was one of the rare times this season when Mike Trout has been intentionally walked to get to Pujols. The ninth time didn’t work out for the Rangers, whose walk to Trout was followed by Pujols’ second three-run homer of the game.

Pujols shrugged and said he’d have done the same thing.

“Trout’s one of the best players in the game,” Pujols said. “That situation, they were probably trying to get a ground ball double play with me, especially with the way he has been swinging the bat all year.”

Pujols used to be the one who drew the intentional walks, during St. Louis Cardinals years when he built most of his Hall of Fame resume.

With the Angels, it hasn’t gone so well.

His average (.252) and on-base percentage (.331) this season are well below his standard, and he’s hit into a team-leading 14 double plays, eaing the sco of frustrated Angels fans. But there’s no arguing that he hasn’t done the most important part of his job: driving in runs.

Lately, he’s been particularly hot.

“I just feel good at the plate,” Pujols said. “It’s just one of those things. Nothing really changed. Sometimes in this game you’re going to miss some pitches, and sometimes you tell yourself, ‘That happens.’ And then when you’re locked in, it’s the same pitch pretty much that you miss. You just have to ride with it.”

Scioscia said Pujols is the kind of hitter who can “put a team on his back for a month.”

For a moment on Tuesday night, though, the Angels feared that they may have lost that hitter.

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Pujols was hit in the head by a Tony Baette pitch in the seventh inning. Pujols immediately hit the dirt, and umpire Mark Wegner signaled for the Angels’ trainer.

Fortunately, part of the blow was absorbed by Pujols’ helmet. After answering a few questions to prove to trainer Adam Nevala that he knew where he was, and after hearing Baette apologize three times, Pujols was able to stay in the game. He was smiling by the time he got to first base.

“Obviously, every time you get hit in the head it’s going to be scary,” Pujols said. “But it’s part of the game. I’m just glad nothing crazy happened. That could have been worse.”