Angels avoid injury in another walk-off victory

A day later, the Angels got their do-over and executed it to perfection.

After Howie Kendrick blasted a three-run home run to right-center field in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon to give the Angels a 9-7 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium, his teammates jogged gleefully from the dugout but stayed away from the dirt that encircles home plate.

Kendrick touched home and then exchanged high-fives with his teammates, a muted version of the celebration that resulted in a freak injury to first baseman Kendry Morales following his walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning Saturday. Morales fractured his lower left leg when he leaped to touch home plate amongst a crowd of awaiting teammates.

Kendrick’s second homer of the game was off Seattle’s David Aardsma, who walked Hideki Matsui to start the ninth and then gave up a line drive infield single to Mike Napoli that glances off Aardsma’s glove.

Seattle rocked Joe Saunders for 10 hits and seven runs in only 4 1/3 innings, splurging for a pair of three-run innings off the Angels starter. Eliezer Alfonzo crushed a three-run homer in the fourth over both bullpens in left field. Casey Kotchman, Alfonzo and Josh Wilson added consecutive run-scoring singles in the fifth to give the Mariners a 7-2 lead.

The Angels countered with a pair of middle-inning rallies that produced three runs but also twice left the bases loaded. They got a run in the fifth inning on four walks, including one by Juan Rivera with the bases loaded, before Napoli struck out looking at a full-count fastball.

An inning later, the Angels loaded the bases with two out and scored a pair of runs on a four-pitch walk to Bobby Abreu and a catcher’s interference call with Matsui at the plate. But Mariners reliever Shawn Kelley got Rivera to pop out in foul territory to Kotchman at first base to end the threat.

Kendrick hit a solo homer in the seventh to draw the Angels to within 7-6 and Erick Aybar led off the eighth with a bunt single that he popped well over third baseman Chone Figgins’ head into shallow left field. But Aybar was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

The surgery scheduled for Morales on Sunday was delayed to allow the swelling in his lower left leg to subside. Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angels’ team orthopedist, said the surgery could be performed within the next week.

The Angels believe they will see Morales play first base again in 2010, the slugger’s fractured lower left leg not expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.

“I don’t think September is out of the question,” Yocum said of Morales’ return.

Napoli made his first major league appearance at first base, a position he played 68 games in his minor league career.