Angels Take First Game Of Preseason Freeway Series, 3-2

ANAHEIM (AP) — Mike Trout homered his first time up in Southern California since being selected AL MVP, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2, Thursday night after Yasiel Puig was shaken up in a violent collision with new teammate Howie Kendrick.

Puig and Kendrick collided in the fifth inning while chasing a shallow fly by Trout that fell for a leadoff triple. Kendrick, who spent his first nine big league seasons playing second base for the Angels before they traded him to the Dodgers in December, peeled off when he heard Puig call for the ball at the last instant but could not avoid hitting him.

Puig went down and was tended to by a trainer before walking off the field under his own power. The Dodgers said he was removed from the game as a precaution and was expected to be fine.

Puig was replaced in right field by Chris Heisey. Trout scored moments later on Albert Pujols' sacrifice fly, which gave the Angels a 3-1 lead.

The Dodgers got their second run on an RBI groundout in the eighth by Heisey.

Trout, batting .463 this spring with five homers and 16 RBIs, drove a 1-1 pitch from right-hander Sergio Santos over the 18-foot wall in right-center. The Dodgers tied it in the fourth on rookie Joc Pederson's two-out RBI single, but the Angels regained the lead in the bottom half on a leadoff double by David Freese and C.J. Cron's single.

Mike Morin struck out the side in the ninth for a save.

STARTING TIME

Dodgers: Santos was the first of eight pitchers used by manager Don Mattingly. Josh Ravin took the loss.

Angels: Matt Shoemaker allowed a run and five hits over 6 1-3 innings. He struck out three in his fifth start this spring. The right-hander, who set a franchise rookie record last season with 16 victories, gave up four runs over six innings in a loss to the Dodgers last Saturday.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Mike Adams, who was scheduled to start this all-bullpen game, won't be reporting to Triple-A for the start of the season after the club told him Tuesday he won't be on the opening-day roster. He is 36 years old and experienced shoulder problems the previous two seasons with Philadelphia. "Mike's going to shut it down for now," Mattingly said. "He didn't feel like he was recovering (from his outings) as fast as he wanted to and he felt like he needed more time. He's going home for now."

Angels: They will open the season with four players on the disabled list: LF Josh Hamilton, RHP Garrett Richards, LHP Tyler Skaggs and RHP Cory Rasmus.

KENLEY'S COMEBACK

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, who will begin the season on the DL, isn't expected to be ready to pitch again until mid-May. "Nothing's told us that he's not going to be ready by then," Mattingly said. "He seems to have passed every hurdle to this point. But I think that we still go through the process. There's always boxes you have to keep checking off. He's going to have to start walking on that foot and start throwing on it. Then he has to get on the mound, and we'll see where it all goes."

WELCOME BACK

Kendrick received a warm greeting from the Angel Stadium crowd his first time up. Three pitches later he was robbed of a hit on a leaping catch by Johnny Giavotella — one of his replacements at second base.

EXTRA BASES

Dodgers: Pederson robbed Erick Aybar of a hit with a diving catch in right-center to start the second.

Angels: The starting rotation at first will consist of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Shoemaker and Hector Santiago. The team won't require a fifth starter until April 14. ... New Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday on SiriusXM radio that a decision on possible discipline for Hamilton likely will come after opening day. Hamilton, recovering from shoulder surgery, met with baseball officials last month, but neither side provided details on the reason why. The 2010 AL MVP has had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, and has been suspended in the past. This is the third season of a $125 million, five-year contract with the club. ... Kendrick's old locker in the Angels' clubhouse is now being occupied by Trout. INF Johnny Giavotella has been assigned Hamilton's locker.

UP NEXT

Game 2 of the Freeway Series on Friday night, with RHP Brandon McCarthy scheduled to start for the Dodgers against LHP Andrew Heaney.

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