MIKE TROUT hit his 16th home run of the season on Saturday as the Angels defeated the Miami Marlins 5-2 (Flickr/Keith Allison)

By Pete Zarustica

A nice day’s work. The Los Angeles Angels are in second place and Mike Trout is in first.

After Saturday’s 5-2 victory by the Halos over the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park, the team is 26-26 and has moved a game ahead of the Texas Rangers in the battle for the runner-up position in the American League West.

Trout’s 16th home run in the top of the first advanced him into the lead of all major leaguers in home runs. He ended up with two hits and a run scored to push his batting average to .342, second-best in the American League.

Two other Angel players – Cameron Maybin and Andrelton Simmons – also got a pair of hits. Simmons and Luis Valbuena knocked in a two runs.

J.C. Ramirez (5-3) pitched seven strong innings, giving up seven hits and one run –unearned. He struck out three batters and walked one.

“For the most part, he was in the zone early and got some big outs during the game, pitched a strong seven innings,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Coming out of the seventh, we felt he had enough to start the eighth. But as our inning got longer, we just thought we’d start with somebody fresh.”

On Sunday the Angels will send Matt Shoemaker (4-2) to the mound to start the third and final game of the series.