Trout tallies 39th HR, two shy of career high

Shortly before first pitch, Mike Trout took the field for a pregame ceremony in which he was officially recognized as the Angels’ team MVP, an honor bestowed upon him by his teammates. He later backed up that credential, blasting a two-run home run as part of the Angels’ 8-5 win over the A’s in Friday night’s series opener at Angel Stadium. Taylor Ward added his second home run in as many games, and Shohei Ohtani chipped in with three hits, two RBIs and a stolen base to help extend the Angels’ (79-81) winning streak to four games.