Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs works against the Toronto Blue Jays during third inning American League action in Toronto on Saturday, May 10, 2014.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Angels starter Tyler Skaggs was dominant over eight-plus innings and C.J. Cron hit his first big-league homer as Los Angeles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
Skaggs retired 21 straight batters after giving up a run in the first inning. The 22-year-old left-hander allowed four hits and didn't walk a batter.
Joe Smith got the final three outs for his fourth save as the Angels (18-17) won their second straight game over Toronto (18-19). Los Angeles outhit the Blue Jays 12-6 in front of an announced crowd of 31,412.
Toronto brought the potential winning run to the plate in the ninth inning but pinch-hitter Adam Lind hit into a game-ending double play.
The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the first when slugger Jose Bautista reached base after Skaggs (3-1) misplayed a comebacker. Edwin Encarnacion drove a double into the left-field corner that brought Bautista home.
Howie Kendrick opened the second inning with a ground-rule double off Toronto starter J.A. Happ (1-1) and came around on a single by Cron.
Chris Iannetta made it a 3-1 game with a two-run shot, his third homer of the season. The Angels would load the bases for slugger Albert Pujols, who flew out to deep left field to end the bat-around inning.
Happ didn't fare much better in the third. He gave up a solo shot to Cron and was replaced by Todd Redmond after Iannetta's one-out single.
Skaggs, meanwhile, was in complete control. Steve Tolleson finally got to him with a two-out double in the eighth inning but Chris Getz grounded out to strand the runner.
Redmond did a nice job in long relief. Pujols led off the fifth with a double and moved to third on a Kendrick groundout but Redmond responded by getting Cron on a strikeout and Iannetta on a flyout.
The Angels tacked on a run in the sixth inning.
With two out, the speedy Erick Aybar hit a slow chopper to Jose Reyes. The Toronto shortstop had to rush to get the throw away and it sailed wide of first base, allowing Collin Cowgill to score from third.
Redmond gave up five hits, an unearned run and had one strikeout over 4 2-3 innings. Happ, meanwhile, allowed seven hits, four earned runs and a walk while striking out four.
Reyes picked up Toronto's third hit with an infield single to lead off the ninth and Cabrera followed with a sharp single up the middle. Bautista hit another single to drive in Reyes.
Encarnacion hit a grounder that moved Cabrera to third but forced out Bautista at second base. Smith gave up another single to Dioner Navarro that brought Cabrera home.
Lind followed by hitting a comebacker to Smith and the Angels turned a double play for the win. The game took two hours 46 minutes to play.
Notes: Drew Hutchison (1-2) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. The Angels will counter with fellow right-hander Jered Weaver (3-2). The teams will wrap up the four-game series Monday. Toronto will close out the nine-game homestand with a three-game set against Cleveland ... Bautista has reached base safely in all 37 games this season. He's one away from Carlos Delgado's club record set in 1998. ... Bench coach Dino Ebel served as Angels manager. Regular skipper Mike Scioscia missed the first two games of the series to attend his daughter's college graduation. ... Former Blue Jays infielder John McDonald batted ninth for the Angels and played third base.