ANAHEIM -- 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.
Trout crushed a first-pitch fastball from Oakland right-hander Mike Fiers out to right-center field to collect his 39th home run of the season and stake the Angels a 5-0 lead in the third inning.