Rangers Beat Angels
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Alex Rios hit one ball about 400 feet and another about 200 feet, but they were equally important.
In fact, it could be argued the 200-footer was the bigger hit. It drove in the winning run for the Texas Rangers in a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
The Rangers trailed 3-2 going into the seventh inning and were in danger of being swept and falling farther behind the Oakland A’s in the American League West. But they rallied for two runs. The go-ahead run scored when Angels center fielder Mike Trout’s diving attempt at Rios’ blooper to shallow left-center field fell in for a two-out RBI double and a 4-3 lead.
“I guess I hit it in the right spot,” said Rios, who also homered in the first inning.
Leonys Martin had a big game for the Rangers with two hits and two runs scored, and Elvis Andrus drove in two runs.
The victory allowed the Rangers to keep pace with the A’s, who won Sunday, remaining 1 1/2 games back. The Rangers also currently hold the top wild-card spot.
“Right now, every win is important,” Rios said. “We’re playing for the
pennant. Coming from behind today was good and, hopefully, it will boost our confidence and get us going.”
The Rangers used seven pitchers to piecemeal their efforts on the mound, beginning with Nick Tepesch, who had not started a game since July 5. He gave up two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings and was followed by Joseph Ortiz, Alexi Ogando, Jason Frasor, Neal Cotts, Tanner Scheppers and Joe Nathan (39th save). Ogando (6-4) got the win over Angels reliever Michael Kohn (1-2).
While the bullpen pitched well collectively, it was Scheppers who came up with the biggest out of the game. The Angels had the potential tying run on third base with one out in the eighth inning and Hank Conger at the plate, but Scheppers struck him out with a 98 mph fastball.
“Right there, I just want to keep it in front of the outfielders and give them an opportunity,” said Scheppers, who pitched one scoreless inning. “I think (catcher) A.J. (Pierzynski) and I learned from the last time we faced Conger. I wanted to stay away from him and he was able to reach out and get a hit. So I learned from that and stayed inside on him.”
Angels starter Jason Vargas gave up two runs and six hits in six innings and left with a 3-2 lead. Buddy Boshers started the seventh for the Angels and walked Martin with one out. Angels manager Mike Scioscia then went to Kohn out of the bullpen to face Ian Kinsler, who doubled to left field, sending Martin to third.
Andrus followed with a popup to shallow right center, where Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun made a spectacular diving catch. But Martin alertly tagged from third and beat the throw home to tie the score at 3. Rios followed with his RBI double despite the best efforts of Trout.
“That was as close as you can come,” Scioscia said of Trout’s attempt to make the catch. “Great effort by Mike.”
Calhoun had two hits, including a home run, and Andrew Romine had a two-run double for the Angels.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rios homered, his fourth of the season with Texas and the 16th overall. The Angels got the run back in the bottom of the second on Calhoun’s homer, his sixth of the season, off Tepesch.
The Angels took their first lead of the game in the fourth on Romine’s two-out, two-run double off Ortiz, making it 3-1. The Rangers cut their deficit to 3-2 in the fifth when Martin singled and later scored on a single by Andrus.
