Cards blow four-run lead in loss to Angels

Angels 10, Cardinals 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The Los Angeles Angels proved once again they have few deficiencies.

Casey Kotchman drove in three runs, including two in a six-run seventh inning, as the Los Angeles Angels recorded its biggest comeback of the season in a 10-6 win over St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

The Angeles fell behind 4-0 before scoring nine unanswered runs to move a season-best 16 games over .500.

"They've got a complete ballclub," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "They're a good ballclub and it's fun to play them."

The Angels showed their typically aggressive style by breaking open the game open in the seventh. They used 10 batters and had seven hits against three St. Louis pitchers. The first six batters reached by way of hits and all six eventually scored.

Even when they didn't get solid hits, the ball fell in the perfect spot. Kotchman's two-run single was a bloop down the left field line that scored Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson.

"Anytime we can come back from a deficit, it's a matter of executing swings and getting base runners on," Kotchman said.

Cardinals reliever Tyler Johnson (1-1) started the inning and faced just four batters. He gave up three singles -- including Kotchman's two-run single -- and a double. Johnson failed to record an out before being lifted.

"I just let it get out of control," said Johnson, who had surrendered four runs in 7 1/3 innings before Friday's game. "My slider was flat and I faced some good hitters and they beat me."

The Angels tied the game 3-3 in the fifth on a two-run single by Guerrero. He finished 2-for-4 and has 17 hits in his past 41 at-bats.

Chone Figgins extended his hitting streak with a single in the first and finished with three singles and three stolen bases. Howie Kendrick also had three hits, including two doubles, and Anderson had three hits.

"The one guy that is really a legitimate longball threat is Vlad," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "So around him we have a lot of very good situation hitters that run the bases very aggressively. That's the way our club has to play."

Hector Carrasco (1-1) used four pitches to get through the sixth inning to earn his first victory since last Oct. 1.

Starter Bartolo Colon continued his recent struggles. After winning his first five starts since returning from a torn rotator cuff he sustained in July, Colon had lost two consecutive decisions heading into Friday.

He gave up solo homers to Chris Duncan, Kelly Stinnett and Albert Pujols in the first three innings and now has allowed seven home runs in 14 2/3 innings over his past three appearances.

Colon lasted only four innings against the Cardinals and threw just 71 pitches before being pulled after repeatedly falling behind in the count.

He struck out four and allowed seven hits, three of the first four going for home runs.

Game notes
Kip Wells got his first no-decision of the year in his 13th start of the season. ... Colon recorded his 1,500th career-strike out against Chris Duncan in the third inning. ... Stinnett's homer was his first as a Cardinal and his first since May 27, 2006 while with the New York Yankees. ... The Cardinals signed former Anaheim Angeles reliever Troy Percival to a minor league contract. The closer spent 10 years with the Angels and part of one season with Detroit before retiring and is attempting a comeback. He will report to Triple-A Memphis. ... St. Louis announced its day/night doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs was rescheduled to Sept. 15. The doubleheader is a makeup for the April 29 postponement following P Josh Hancock's death.