Skaggs earns win, Cron homers as Angels top Toronto

By Ian Harrison, Associated Press

Published Saturday, May 10, 2014 | 1:13 p.m.

Updated Saturday, May 10, 2014 | 2:25 p.m.

TORONTO — Tyler Skaggs pitched into the ninth inning and retired 21 straight batters, leading the Los Angeles Angels over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Saturday. Rookie C.J. Cron hit his first major league homer and Chris Iannetta added a two-run shot as Angels won their fifth in a row at Toronto. Angels bench coach Dino Ebel ran the team for the second straight day while manager Mike Scioscia attended his daughter's college graduation. Scioscia is due to return Sunday. Skaggs (3-1) gave up two earned runs and four hits, leaving after Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera started the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back singles. Skaggs retired Dioner Navarro on a fly ball to end the first inning and didn't permit another runner until the eighth. Joe Smith gave up an RBI single to Jose Bautista in the ninth, then got Edwin Encarnacion to ground into a forceout. Navarro made it 5-3 with an RBI single before Smith got pinch-hitter Adam Lind to ground into a double play for his fourth save in six chances. Making his second start since moving from the bullpen into the rotation last Monday, J.A. Happ (1-1) lasted just 2 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. Skaggs improved to 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three road starts as the Angels won for the ninth time in 10 meetings with the Blue Jays. Toronto has lost two straight following a season-best five-game winning streak. Iannetta homered in the second and Cron hit a second-deck drive in the third. Bautista reached on a fielding error by Skaggs in the first and scored on a two-out double by Encarnacion. Skaggs then began his streak of setting down Toronto hitters. The string almost ended when Iannetta dropped a third strike to Juan Francisco in the eighth, but the catcher made a strong, off-balance throw to first for the out. Steve Tolleson followed with a double. Happ retired the Angels in order in the first but ran into trouble in the second, when Los Angeles got five hits and scored three times. Howie Kendrick led off with a double, Cron hit an RBI single and Iannetta homered. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Albert Pujols, who flied out to the warning track. Cron made it 4-1 with a towering drive in the third, and Happ was replaced by Todd Redmond after Iannetta followed with a sharp single to left. The Angels made it 5-1 in the sixth when Collin Cowgill scored from second on a throwing error by shortstop Jose Reyes.