TORONTO (AP) - Having waited 11 days between starts, Toronto left-hander Brett Cecil wasn't too happy when his night ended after only three innings.

Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer, Vernon Wells added a solo shot and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cecil and the Blue Jays 10-6 on Tuesday night.

Advertisement

Cecil missed his scheduled start last Friday after he sliced open his left index finger while cleaning a blender. The extended layoff didn't help him against the Angels, with Cecil (4-10) allowing four runs and six hits in his shortest outing of the year.

``Really surprised,' Cecil said of manager John Farrell's quick hook. ``I think that's why I'm at a loss for words. I only had three innings to work. I just can't find the words to really explain anything right now.'

Cecil, who walked two and struck out three, dropped to 0-6 in eight starts since beating Texas on July 29.

``It was just the inconsistent location throughout the at_bats to where he had the inability to finish some guys off,' Farrell said of his decision to bring in Kyle Drabek for the fourth inning. ``I didn't think (Cecil's) stuff was as sharp as it was the last time out.'

Cecil struck out the side in the first but gave up Wells' 23rd homer, a solo drive to left in the second, and was replaced after Los Angeles added three more in the third. Howie Kendrick hit an RBI double and scored on Trumbo's single before Wells doubled home a run.

The Angels piled on with five more runs in the fourth against Drabek. Erick Aybar doubled, went to third on Bobby Wilson's sacrifice and stole home on a wild pitch when Peter Bourjos couldn't get the squeeze bunt down. Bourjos singled, went to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Drabek's throwing error before scoring on Alberto Callaspo's sacrifice fly. Kendrick and Torii Hunter singled before Trumbo crushed a first-pitch homer to left, his team-high 29th.

Consecutive doubles by Bourjos and Callaspo made it 10-2 in the sixth.

Trumbo went 2 for 5 with four RBIs and Aybar stole home as the Angels kept their faint postseason hopes alive. Los Angeles started the night five games behind Texas in the AL West. With Boston losing at home to Baltimore on Tuesday, the Angels pulled within 3 1/2 games of the Red Sox in the wild card race.

``It's huge,' Trumbo said. ``We don't have any wiggle room any more. It's do or die for us.'

The Angels have eight games remaining, and manager Mike Scioscia hopes his offense is set to finish strong.

``It's in there,' Scioscia said. ``If our guys can swing the bats to their potential, it's going to put us on a good run. Needless to say, we need it.'

Wells, who often bats behind Trumbo, said the rookie's season has been ``fun to watch.'

``The scary thing is he's still learning his swing, still learning pitchers in this league,' Wells said. ``It's going to be fun watching him grow over the next few years.'

Joel Pineiro (7-7) allowed four runs and nine hits in six-plus innings to win for the second time in three starts. He walked two and struck out three.

``He pitched well against a lineup that's going to let you know if you're missing your spots,' Scioscia said.

Rich Thompson and Bobby Cassevah each worked one inning of relief, Garrett Richards got two outs in the ninth and Scott Downs finished for his first save.

Downs came on with runners at first and second and struck out Colby Rasmus on three pitches for his first save since 2009, when he pitched for the Blue Jays.

Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion hit an RBI single in the first and Mike McCoy's groundout scored a run in the second, but the Blue Jays didn't score off Pineiro again until the seventh, when consecutive singles by McCoy and Eric Thames brought Thompson out of the bullpen. Jose Bautista walked to load the bases, Encarnacion hit a sacrifice fly and Kelly Johnson followed with an RBI single. Toronto cut it to 10-5 on Brett Lawrie's fielder's choice grounder before Rasmus struck out to end the rally.

Thames scored from first on Johnson's infield grounder in the ninth when Trumbo couldn't catch second baseman Kendrick's throw. Thames sped to third as the ball rolled into foul territory, then scored standing up when no one covered home plate.

NOTES: Angels OF Mike Trout returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore left calf. He went 0 for 4. ... Toronto put SS Yunel Escobar (left elbow) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sept. 11. Escobar was hit by a pitch from Baltimore's Rick VandenHurk on Sept. 10 and has not played since. Farrell said he hopes Escobar will be able play again before the end of the season. ... McCoy matched his career-high with three hits.