Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Scott Kazmir picked up his fourth straight win, backed by home runs from Howie Kendrick and Torii Hunter, as the Angels took the opener of a three-game interleague set from the Cubs, 7-6.
Kazmir (7-5) went six innings and held Chicago to five hits and two runs as the Angels logged their first ever win at Wrigley Field. The Cubs took two of three from the Halos in Anaheim in the only other encounter between the clubs back in 2004.
Hunter ended 2-for-3, walked and scored three runs for the Angels, who managed to salvage the finale of a three-game series against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Tyler Colvin hit a three-run homer in the ninth to help make things interesting for the Cubs, who had won the last two games of a three-game series with Oakland.
Derrek Lee also homered in the ninth and had a pair of solo blasts, his ninth and 10th of the season.
Chicago’s Carlos Silva (8-2) took the loss for a second consecutive outing after starting the season 8-0. He was charged with three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and zero walks in six innings.
Hunter’s one-out solo shot to left-center off Silva in the sixth gave Los Angeles a 3-2 edge and Bob Howry was touched for three unearned runs in the seventh as the Angels broke open a one-run game.
The first two batters reached on back-to-back throwing errors by Jeff Baker, and pinch-hitter Juan Rivera got a run home on a grounder to third that Baker bobbled to negate a potential double play.
Kendrick then drilled a Howry offering out to right-center for a two-run homer and 6-2 lead. Another unearned run was allowed to score in the eighth, when Hunter walked leading off, stole second and scored on a two-base throwing error by Lee.
LA seemed to be in control after Francisco Rodriguez recorded a 1-2-3 eighth, but he returned for the ninth and walked the first two batters before serving up a three-run blast to Colvin.
Fernando Rodney entered and got two quick outs, but Lee made it a one-run game with a home run to left-center. Geovany Soto grounded to third to end the game and give Rodney his sixth save.
The Angels opened the scoring in the fourth as Hideki Matsui knocked in Bobby Abreu with a base hit and Jeff Mathis dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt single to score Hunter.
Lee immediately got one back with a leadoff homer in the home half and Soto tied the game at two on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Lee has 23 career multi-homer games. It was his first such effort this season…Colvin ended with two hits, walked and scored twice…Silva, who pitched in the American League from 2004-09, fell to 7-3 lifetime against the Angels…The Cubs had won three of their last four overall…During Kazmir’s current run, he’s allowed just 18 hits and six runs in 23 innings…Hunter stole his sixth base of the season…Baker’s two miscues were his first of the year…The Cubs have the fourth-most errors in the majors this season (52).