Albert Pujols tied Mickey Mantle for 16th place on the all-time home run list, Kole Calhoun drove in a career-high four runs and the Los Angeles Angels stopped a season-high five-game losing streak by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 on Tuesday night.
Pujols hit his 536th homer to tie the New York Yankees great, an opposite-field shot to right field on an 0-1 pitch from Nathan Karns (3-3) in the fifth inning. Pujols has eight homers in his last 11 games, and 16 overall this season.
Mike Schmidt is in 15th place with 548 home runs.
Calhoun had an RBI double during a two-run first, a sixth-inning run-scoring single, and a two-run single in a three-run eighth.
Matt Shoemaker (4-4) improved to 3-0 in three starts against Tampa Bay after allowing two runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Joey Butler had two RBIs for the Rays, who returned home following a 7-3 road trip. Tampa Bay (31-28) is just 14-17 at home.
Pujols broke a tie for 15th place with George Brett on his 1,120th extra-base hit, a leadoff double in the third. He then scored on David Freese's double. Pujols' homer moved him within one of tying Manny Ramirez (1,122) for 14th place.
#MLBDraft2015: Get to know the future #Angels, like catcher Taylor Ward (@Warrdyboy7) http://t.co/2KeZAAER9H #MLB pic.twitter.com/UP954x6XNY
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) June 9, 2015
Freese extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
After being limited to one hit through five innings, Butler drove in two with a double on the Rays' third consecutive one-out hit in the sixth.
Karns gave up five runs and nine hits over 5 2-3 innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: OF Collin Cowgill (sprained right wrist) ran the bases and could take batting practice in a few days.
Rays: 3B Evan Longoria (sore left wrist) was out of the lineup for the third straight game, but expects to start Wednesday night. He struck out as a pinch-hitter with two on and two outs in the seventh. ... LHP Matt Moore (elbow ligament replacement surgery) threw four scoreless innings for Class-A Charlotte against Dunedin in his second rehab start.
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP Jered Weaver (4-5) looks to rebound Wednesday night after allowing a season-high seven earned runs over 5 2-3 innings in a loss Friday night to the New York Yankees. He will face Rays RHP Erasmo Ramirez (4-2).
