Angels Sweep Rangers
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ARLINGTON — The Los Angeles Angels enter the All-Star break obviously needing one if the record is any indication of the work they have been putting in.
The Angels completed a four-game sweep of Texas and finished off a 19-4 run in the last part of the first half of the season led by center fielder Mike Trout, who was 2-for-4 with four RBIs in a 10-7 victory Sunday over the Rangers. The Angels have won their last five games.
Trout’s two-run double keyed Los Angeles’ three-run second and he drove in a the go-head run in the fourth with another double, before also scoring one of the Angels’ five additional runs.
First baseman Albert Pujols went 3-for-5 with an RBI double in the eighth, his 29th RBI in his last 28 games. Pujols is hitting .350 during that span.
The Angels are playing so well, one wonders if the break didn’t come at a bad time.
“These guys need a break,” said manager Mike Scioscia, whose team finished a set of 20 straight games. “It’s been a grind.
“We’re playing well, but these guys definitely need to catch their breath. There’s no doubt about it.”
Tyler Skaggs (5-5) earned the victory, giving up six runs on seven hits and one walk while
striking out three over five innings for the Angels (57-37).
Right-handed reliever Joe Smith earned his 15th save.
Texas right-hander Scott Baker (0-3) took the loss in a spot start. In four innings of work, he gave up five runs on nine hits, a walk and three strikeouts for the Rangers (38-57), who lost for an eighth consecutive game, the longest such streak in club history leading up to the All-Star break.
The Rangers closed the first half 3-22 in their last 25. The Astros were the last team to have such a stretch, going 2-23 in 2012. Texas has been swept in seven series this season, including five times since June 20.
Outfielder Alex Rios was 2-for-3 with three RBIs for Texas, which also received RBIs from third baseman Adrian Beltre, center fielder Leonys Martin, a late replacement, and left fielder Jake Smolinksi.
The Rangers, who scored seven runs for only the second time since June 17, broke through for three in the third to tie the game at 4.
The Texas bullpen gave up five runs on six hits and four walks over five innings. Right-handed pitcher Shawn Tolleson gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in one inning.
“The bullpen, you could see, it’s dead,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “We had to use them a lot. We have to figure out a way to get our starting pitchers deeper in ball games.”
Los Angeles left fielder Josh Hamilton and second baseman Howie Kendrick each had two hits and an RBI. Catcher Chris Iannetta, 1-for-3 with two strikeouts and two walks, added an insurance run with a run-scoring single in the ninth off Texas left-handed reliever Neal Cotts.
The Angels’ bullpen gave up one run on three hits over the final four innings.
“What’s fun to see is the evolution of this team, seeing it doing things it’s capable of doing,” Scioscia said. “Hopefully, that’s going to continue because we’re going to need it.
The Angels used three good at-bats from the bottom of the order to jump-start the second.
Trout’s double scored third baseman David Freese, first baseman Efren Navarro and catcher Chris Iannetta, who reached consecutively on two singles and a walk.
Freese and Navarro drove in the Angels’ sixth and seventh runs with base hits in the fifth.
“That’s a very relentless ballclub over there,” Washington said. “Every time you make a mistake they make you pay.
“Each inning we scored except for one they came back and answered. We’ve got to stop that kind of stuff.”
