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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Angels and the Blue Jays both began the year expecting to be in a pennant race when August rolled around, not marking time through the final weeks of dismal seasons. Mark Trumbo and the Angels still arent giving up, and they won the years first meeting between two of the ALs biggest underachievers. Trumbo homered in the Angels four-run first inning, Garrett Richards allowed four hits over seven strong innings, and Los Angeles snapped its six-game losing streak with an 8-2 victory over Toronto on Thursday. J.B. Shuck drove in three runs for the Angels, who avoided their longest skid in more than three years by pounding Toronto starter Josh Johnson for 10 hits in the opener of a four-game series. Los Angeles (49-58) is 13 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West, and Toronto (50-58) is 15 games out in the East. "We look for wins, whether or not were in the thick of it," Trumbo said. "This is a team thats not going to stop working hard, no matter what were facing." The Angels stumbled home from an awful road trip with their waning playoff hopes further diminished by three straight losses in Texas on game-ending homers. Those three gut-punch defeats dropped Los Angeles 10 games below .500, and the trip also included Albert Pujols move to the disabled list with a foot injury. But with plenty of offensive support, Richards (3-4) was dominant in his first home start since April 20 and his second start since rejoining the Angels rotation, allowing two runs and striking out four. "This is a fighting club," Richards said. "Were definitely not giving up as a team. Were not panicking. We still have 50-something games to go, and were still going to show up at the yard every day ready to go." Colby Rasmus had two hits and scored a run for Toronto, which had won five of seven. Trumbo hit his 24th homer off Johnson (1-8), whose first career start against the Angels was a disaster. After allowing seven runs, Johnson was chased in the third inning with the bases loaded. His career-worst losing streak stretched to six starts. "Its frustration. Thats it," Johnson said. "Im out there trying to battle, trying to get through it and trying to stay positive. Youve got to find a way. Ill come back and watch some video and do whatever I can to get back. The worst part is doing this to my bullpen and my teammates. I felt like I made some pretty good pitches, but they were hitting the ball all over the place." Los Angeles led Toronto 3-0 after five batters when Howie Kendrick singled home Kole Calhoun and scored on Trumbos impressive shot to left on a hanging curve. Los Angeles batted around in the first inning, scored another run in the second on Josh Hamiltons sacrifice fly, and chased Johnson in the third with four singles, Shucks RBI flyout and a walk. "Hes one of our guys, man," Toronto manager John Gibbons said of Johnson. "He works as hard as anybody. Its a cruel business. Hes one of those guys you root for. Hes got that personality. Hes a good guy, and you feel for guys like that. Hes had a lot of success at this level, and he at rock-bottom right now." Toronto left fielder Melky Cabrera made things worse in the third when he picked up Erick Aybars single and lost control of the ball while attempting to throw it back to the cutoff man, allowing Trumbo to score the Angels sixth run. The ball comically popped into the air and landed behind Cabrera, who left the game in the fourth inning with what the club called irritation in his left knee. After the game, the Blue Jays placed Cabrera on the 15-day disabled list and recalled right-hander Neil Wagner. Richards faced little trouble until the fifth, when Adam Lind scored on Rasmus double and Calhouns error in right field. Rasmus then scored on a groundout by Maicer Izturis, the former Los Angeles utility infielder who got warm cheers from the Angel Stadium crowd in his return. NOTES: Pujols will be in a walking boot for three more weeks, but the $240 million first baseman said he wants to play again this season, no matter where the Angels might be in the standings. Manager Mike Scioscia was more circumspect, saying a decision is still several weeks away. ... Toronto activated RHP Sergio Santos from the 60-day disabled list and put RHP Dustin McGowan on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle. Santos, out since April 13 with an injured elbow, pitched two innings of relief, allowing one hit and one run. ... Angels LHP Jason Vargas will throw a three-inning simulated game in the bullpen Saturday, and if it goes well, hell likely make a minor-league rehab start before Los Angeles considers putting him back in the rotation. Vargas hasnt pitched since June 17 because of a blood clot in his left arm.Mel Blount Jersey .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Mike Webster Youth Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Justin-Layne-Jersey/ . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Devin Bush Womens Jersey . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. Justin Layne Youth Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla.RIO DE JANEIRO -- Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in swimming Thursday night, tying for gold in the 100-meter freestyle with Penny Oleksiak of Canada.Manuel and Oleksiak both touched the wall in 52.70 seconds, breaking the Olympic record by one-hundredth of a second. Swedens Sarah Sjostrom took the bronze in 52.99.Manuel leaned her head into her hands and cried when she recognized her historic achievement in a sport that still has few African-Americans.Im just so blessed to have a gold medal, Manuel, 20, told NBC after the race. This medal is not just for me. Its for a whole bunch of people who came before me and have been an inspiration to me. ... Its for all the people after me who believe they cant do it, and I just want to be an inspiration to others that you can do it.Anthony Ervin is the only African-American male to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming. He tied for first in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2000 Olympics and is on the team again in Rio.Manuel, meanwhile, also became the first American to win gold in the womens 100 freestyle since 1984, when Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer shared first place.Manuel had to rally to get there.She was third at the halfway mark but surged past Australian Cate Campbell, who was on pace to take her world record even lower when she made the turn out front, with little sister Bronte right behind. But the Australian siblings, who teamed up to lead their country to gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay, couldnt hang on.Bronte faded to fourth, and Cate dropped all the way to sixth at the finish.Instead, it was Manuel -- her fingernails painted red, white and blue -- who touched at the same time as 16-year-old Oleksiak, the youngest swimmer in the field.Manuel and Oleksiak shared the top spot on the medal podium, with the U.S. anthem played first, followed by the Canadian anthem. Tears rolled down each of Manuels cheeks as she sang along.Its been a long journey, and Im super excited with where it has brought me, she said.Manuels victory took on added significance in a sport that still has few people of color, especiaally in light of the racial divide in the United States.dddddddddddd She mentioned some of the issues with police brutality.I think that this win helps bring hope and change to some of the issues that are going on in the world, but I mean, I went out there and swam as fast as I could, and my color just comes with the territory, Manuel said.Until now, Cullen Jones had been the face of swimming for minorities in America, having won two golds and two silvers at the previous two Olympics. But Jones failed to make the U.S. team this year in what could have been his final attempt.Manuels teammate Lia Neal earned silver on the 4x100 free relay in Rio and bronze on the same relay four years ago in London. Maritza Correia won silver on the same relay at the 2004 Athens Games.Manuel singled out Jones, Neal and Correia for blazing a path.Neal pumped up Manuel before the night-time finals by singing and dancing together.That helped keep the nerves off me, Manuel said. After the race, I gave her a big hug and I cried and I told her, Thank you for everything youve done for me. Shes a huge part of my successes.Manuel, who attends Stanford and has a brother who played basketball at SMU, looks forward to a time when there is greater diversity in the pool.I would like there to be a day where there are more of us and its not Simone, the black swimmer, she said, because the title black swimmer makes it seem like Im not supposed to be able to win a gold medal or Im not supposed to be able to break records, and thats not true because I work just as hard as anybody else. I want to win just like everybody else.And Manuel hopes she can just be a swimmer and a champion without her race being a factor.Thats something I definitely struggled with a lot, she said. Just coming into this race, I kind of tried to take the weight of the black community off my shoulders, which is something I carry with me just being in this position. I do hope that kind of goes away.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '