Boom! Boom! Boom! Homers beat Sox

MIKE TROUT hit his 19th home run of the season on Sunday, one of three homers hit by the Angels in their 3-2 win over Boston in Anaheim (Flickr/Eric Droust).

The Los Angeles Angels have not exactly rocketed out of the All-Star break, but consider this: over the last two series, the Halos have won three of five from two of the top teams in Major League Baseball.

Sunday’s 3-2 win in Anaheim over the Boston Red Sox – leaders in the American League East – followed a split of a two-game series with the Washington Nationals, who are atop the National League East. The result, so far, is a 4-4 record since the start of the “second half” of the 2017 campaign.

Luis Valbuena hit what proved to be the game-winning home run in the seventh inning. It was the third of three solo homers by the Angels – Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons had the others.

Parker Bridwell (4-1) continued to shine in the Angel rotation, yielding just five hits and two runs over seven innings of work. The Halos and Red Sox traded runs until Valbuena hit the decider, his ninth home run of the season.

For Trout it was his 19th homer, and the 11th for Simmons.

The Angels’ win improves their mark to 49-51, still tied for third in the AL West. They have Monday off and start a road trip in Ohio to take on the Cleveland Indians (51-45) on Tuesday.