"Torii Hunter's rib cage was extremely sore after Wednesday night's game, in which he was knocked out by a violent fifth-inning crash into the wall, but the Angels right fielder was still smiling and joking with teammates and reporters.

"I'd be in a lot more pain if we lost," Hunter said after the Angels pulled out a wild 6-5, 10-inning victory against the Florida Marlins in Sun Life Stadium. "Right now, I'm on a good muscle relaxant, and I'm kind of high. I feel good."

He was in agony a few hours earlier after crashing into the wall while making a superb leaping catch of Gaby Sanchez's drive in the fifth.

Hunter, whose left shoulder bore the brunt of the impact, crumpled onto the warning track and was down for four minutes, writhing in pain and clutching outfielder Vernon Wells' ankle.

"My elbow drove into my ribs and knocked the wind out of me," Hunter said. "I felt a knot in my lungs. I couldn't breathe. My whole insides shook."

Hunter eventually walked off the field. He was diagnosed with a bruised rib, and X-rays were negative, ruling out a fracture.

"He'll probably miss a few games," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "But it won't keep him out for an extended period of time."

Hunter was part of a four-run, third-inning rally that opened with Maicer Izturis' home run, Erick Aybar's double, Hunter's RBI double and Bobby Abreu's two-run homer, his first hit on a 3-and-0 pitch since 1999.

The last time the Angels had four extra-base hits to open an inning was May 11, 1977, when Bobby Bonds, Don Baylor and Ron Jackson homered and Bobby Grich doubled in the second inning against Baltimore."