Tyler Chatwood was unable to build on his last start as he fell apart in the sixth inning in Detroit, allowing the Tigers to score four times en route to a 12-2 pummeling. Chatwood (6-7) last 5.1 innings, allowing 6 runs on eight hits, while striking out two and walking two.
The Angels had the lead briefly in the first when Maicer Izturis belted a lead-off home run to right, but Chatwood coughed up a Brennan Boesch solo shot in the bottom half of the inning.
Again in the fifth, the Halos took a 2-1 lead when Mark Trumbo drove in Howie Kendrick from second for his team leading 54th RBI. However, that lead was short lived too as Chatwood gave up a long double to Ramon Santiago that plated Alex Avila to even the score.
The Tigers then poured it on in the 6th, 7th, and 8th by adding 10 runs to put the game far out of reach. Newly added reclamation project Horacio Ramirez allowed four runs in his inning and a third, while typically steady Rich Thompson gave up 2 runs in the 7th after working out of Chatwood’s jam in the sixth.
Fortunately for the Halos the Texas Rangers lost in Toronto, keeping the Angels just two back in their hunt for the AL West lead.
Dan Haren (10-6, 3.01 ERA) gets the start Saturday for the Angels as they look to take a 2-1 series lead.