OC Register: Angels blow out White Sox to remain barely alive in postseason chase

[AngelsWin.com]

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Parker Bridwell delivers during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) celebrates his three-run home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Volstad with Martin Maldonado and Kole Calhoun (56) during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Brandon Phillips (4) celebrates his two-run home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Volstad with Albert Pujols during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Luis Valbuena tosses his bat after hitting a home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Volstad during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Luis Valbuena celebrates his home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Volstad during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Volstad delivers during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Parker Bridwell delivers during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Chicago White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez, left, tags out Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons at third on a throw from Yoan Moncada as Simmons tried to stretch his double to a triple during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu (79) celebrates his home run off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Parker Bridwell with Nicky Delmonico during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu swings into a home run off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Parker Bridwell during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols hits a two-run single off Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Mike Pelfrey during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout looks out at the scoreboard after scoring on a two-run single by Albert Pujols during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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CHICAGO — It is so late in the season, and the Angels so are desperate, that even on a night when they won, they lost.

The Angels slapped a six-run second inning on the Chicago White Sox and cruised to a 9-3 victory on Tuesday night, but just before they could finish it off, the out-of-town scoreboard delivered bad news.

The Minnesota Twins also won, coming from behind, to push the Angels to the final step before elimination from the race for the final American League wild-card spot.

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The Angels are five behind the Twins, with five to play. The Angels need to win them all, while the Twins lose them all, and then the Angels would need to beat the Twins in a one-game playoff in Minnesota on Monday.

A season’s worth of inconsistency, and a month worth of mediocrity, pushed them to the brink, but they displayed none of that in fighting to keep breathing for at least one more night.

With three homers, including Mike Trout’s three-run shot, and Albert Pujols’ 100th RBI, the Angels busted out for their most runs since Sept. 13.

After Jose Abreu’s first of two homers put the White Sox up 1-0 in the first, it was all Angels.

In the second, Brandon Phillips pulled a two-run homer to left, his second in three games. An out later, Luis Valbuena blasted a homer to right-center. After a Martin Maldonado single and a Kole Calhoun walk, Trout hit his 31st homer of the season – and 199th of his career – putting the Angels up, 6-1.

Trout hit the homer on the first pitch, snapping a string of 28 consecutive first-pitch swings without a hit. His last hit on a first pitch was on Aug. 7.

The Angels padded the lead in the seventh. Two runs came home on a single by Pujols, whose 14th 100-RBI season tied Alex Rodriguez for the all-time record.

That was more than enough support for Parker Bridwell, who gave up three runs in 6⅔ innings. He navigated the White Sox lineup with just one strikeout, an oddity in the sport’s current state. By pitching to contact, he was able to get those 20 outs with just 79 pitches.

More to come on this story.

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