All Torii Hunter wanted Saturday night was one more shot, a chance to become only the 16th player in major league history to hit four home runs in a game.
That dream died in the on-deck circle, from where Hunter watched in near agony as Bobby Abreu struck out to end the eighth inning, but as far as consolation prizes go, this one wasn't bad.
Hunter settled for the first three-homer game of his career and the first three-homer game by an Angel in six years, the center fielder's power surge fueling a 9-1 interleague victory over the San Diego Padres in Angel Stadium that helped move the Angels to within 3 1/2 games of first-place Texas in the American League West.
"I was cheering for Bobby, I was screaming at him, and he was looking at me and saying, 'I'm trying!' " said Hunter, who hit solo home runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings.
"I thought maybe I'd get one more at-bat, but at the same time, I loved this day. . . . I felt like Kobe [Bryant] when he's in the zone and hitting everything. Today, for one day, I know how he feels."
Hunter's three-pointer highlighted a 14-hit attack that included home runs by Kendry Morales and Jeff Mathis and a relentless approach that resulted in the Angels' scoring in seven of the eight innings they batted.
The five homers were their most in a game since they hit seven against the Montreal Expos in Puerto Rico on June 4, 2003.
It was the Angels' first three-homer game since Garret Anderson accomplished the feat that day in San Juan and the first three-homer game in Angel Stadium since Troy Glaus did it against Texas on Sept. 15, 2002.
"There's only one word when Torii swings the bat like that," said Joe Saunders, who gave up one run and eight hits and struck out five in 8 1/3 innings to improve to 7-4. "Wow."
Hunter lined out to right field in the first inning, which included Juan Rivera's two-run single. Morales' second-inning homer made it 3-0, and Hunter took over from there.
In the third inning, facing starter Josh Geer, Hunter drove his 14th homer of the season into the left-field seats.
In the fifth, he hit a towering shot against Geer to left-center field for his 15th homer of the season and 12th multi-homer game of his career, the ball barely clearing the glove of the leaping Tony Gwynn Jr.
"When he jumped, my heart dropped because I thought he caught it," said Hunter, who is known for his leaping catches at the wall. "But like I told someone in the dugout, only me can rob me."
