Wilson roughed up in loss to Tigers
DETROIT (AP) -- C.J. Wilson insisted he wasn't worried about getting roughed up by the Detroit Tigers.
Wilson gave up a season-high seven runs to help Detroit beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 Wednesday night.
"I think it was just an anomaly," he said. "They hit a lot of grounders in the right spots, and a couple balls that landed just in front of our outfielders. Over the course of a season, those things usually even out."
Wilson (9-6) allowed eight hits and five walks while striking out seven over six innings, extending his winless streak to four starts.
"It looked like he couldn't get a feel for the baseball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He got behind, and that led to some walks and some hits. He's a pitcher that relies a lot on movement, and sometimes that means he will get behind hitters."
The performance night might've given Wilson flashbacks. In his last start at Detroit -- for the Texas Rangers -- he gave up six runs in a 7-5 loss in Game 5 of the AL championship series.
Albert Pujols hit a solo homer in the first inning against Doug Fister (4-6), but Los Angeles got only one more hit off the right-hander in eight innings.
Pujols limped off the field after getting tagged out in the fourth inning and seemed to be favoring his left leg, but stayed in the game.
"He's fouled a couple balls off of (his left foot), and he hit a base wrong in New York, so it bothers him from time to time," Scioscia said. "He just took a bad stride going down to second, and it bothered him a little. But our trainers have been checking him out and it isn't anything we are concerned about. Guys play nicked up all the time. He's fine."
Prince Fielder capped a four-run second inning, giving Fister more than enough support on a night that he struck out a season-high 10 for his third straight win.
Joaquin Benoit replaced him in the ninth inning and gave up a one-out triple to hot-hitting rookie Mike Trout, who scored on Torii Hunter's groundout for the Angels' second run.
Pujols' two-out homer, his 17th, in the first inning gave Los Angeles its only lead -- which didn't last long. Delmon Young made it 1-all in the home half.
Brennan Boesch led off with a double, Gerald Laird drew a four-pitch walk and Ryan Raburn turned boos into cheers with an RBI single. Miguel Cabrera had an RBI groundout and Fielder followed with a sharply hit single to left field that made it 5-1.
Boesch hit another double, driving in two runs, in the fifth to pad the Tigers' lead.
"The only one who really drove the ball was Boesch," Wilson said. "The rest were just in the right spots."
NOTES: The Angels are hopeful that Vernon Wells and Chris Iannetta can take another step in their comebacks from the disabled list with rehab assignments this weekend. ... The Angels were encouraged by how Angels RHP Dan Haren (lower back stiffness) threw in a bullpen session Wednesday.