Rangers Lose To Angels
ARLINGTON, Texas — A six-run outburst helped the Los Angeles Angels forget about their recent problems scoring runs.
Erick Aybar had a career-high five hits, Kole Calhoun had four RBIs and right-hander Garrett Richards continued his mastery over the Texas Rangers in the Los Angeles Angels’ 8-2 victory on Friday night.
Aybar, the shortstop, had a hit and Calhoun a three-run double in a decisive six-run sixth for the run-strapped Angels, who entered the game 0 for their last 25 with runners in scoring position.
Calhoun went 2-for-5, including another run-scoring double in the third for Los Angeles (42-38).
Richards (9-5), who gave up one run on six hits and a walk while striking out six, improved to 8-1 with a 3.12 ERA lifetime against Texas. He is 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA the past two years against Texas and has won his past six starts against the Rangers.
“I treat everybody the same, whether it’s the Rangers or Yankees or whoever,” Richards said. “We have a good game plan going into it and we try to stick with it. It really comes down to me executing pitches.
“When you got a little run support you can go out there and don’t have to be as fine, you can just battle and go right at them.”
Richards encountered trouble only once, giving up a run on three hits, all with two outs, in the sixth.
Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre accounted for the Rangers’ first run with an RBI single in the
sixth inning that scored designated hitter Prince Fielder, who had two hits for the Rangers.
The outcome overshadowed the expected drama surrounding the first matchup between the Angels and their former outfielder Josh Hamilton, who was traded to the Rangers in April after two disappointing years with Los Angeles.
Hamilton, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract with the Angels in December 2012, went 1-for-3 with a double for the Rangers (41-40), who have lost 11 of their past 19 games.
Ryan Rua, who came in for Hamilton in the seventh, hit a home run off Angels right-handed reliever Mike Morin in the ninth.
Right-handed pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-4) suffered the loss, giving up six runs on five hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings.
After beginning his career with four very good starts, including a shutout, and surrendering only three runs over his first 30 innings, the Texas rookie has given up nine runs in his last two starts, both losses.
“I’m trying to do what I did my first outing and balls aren’t falling where I want them to,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not hitting the exact spot I want to.”
Los Angeles improved to 29-9 in games in which it has scored four or more runs.
The Angels entered the game at a minus-2 run differential and had scored three or fewer runs in 42 of 79 games.
Scoring wasn’t a problem on Friday.
The Angels sent 12 hitters to the plate in the six-run second inning, loading the bases twice and capitalizing each time.
Designated hitter C.J. Cron got the first crack with the bases full, recording a run-scoring single to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.
Gonzalez struck out the No. 9 hitter, catcher Carlos Perez, and induced a pop out of second baseman Johnny Giavotella.
Calhoun then worked the count to 3-2 before clearing the bases with a three-run double, driving a ball that short-hopped the right-center-field wall, increasing Los Angeles’ lead to 4-0.
A walk to center fielder Mike Trout, the next hitter, ended Gonzalez’s night, but the Angels weren’t done yet. Aybar followed a walk to first baseman Albert Pujols with a two-run single that had the Angels very much in charge.
“I’m trying to stay positive,” Gonzalez said. “It’s baseball. It’s a game, it’s fun. You win some, you lose some. I’m upset I didn’t give my team that full chance, but it’s just another day.
“It’s a game of failure. You want to remember it so you don’t do it again.”
Calhoun’s double to almost the same spot in the third inning accounted for the Angels’ seventh run, and third baseman David Freese added a run-scoring hit in the third.
“We did a great job getting guys on,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. “Great situational hitting, a big hit from Kole and Erick with two outs to put the six spot up. It was a good offensive day.”
Meanwhile, Richards put it on cruise control.
After putting runners on base in each of the first two innings, Richards set down nine straight. He responded to the trouble in the sixth by shutting down Texas in the seventh and retiring the first two hitters of the eighth before Scioscia pulled him after Fielder’s second base hit.
“(The Rangers’) lineup will let you know if you miss spots,” Scioscia said. “Garrett was on top of it. Pitched ahead a lot and kept the ball down. He had his good breaking stuff going.”
