Rangers Bats Explode For Second Straight Game vs. Angels

Texas extends its win streak to three games and scores at least seven runs for the third straight contest

The Texas Rangers needed eight innings, but they finally found another offensive explosion with a seven-run eighth inning, leading to a 10-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

The Rangers (16-19) have now won three straight games and will take the series from the Angels (24-15) regardless of what happens in Wednesday’s finale. This is the first time this season the Rangers have rallied from a deficit after the seventh inning (1-15).

The Rangers had a six-run first inning against the Angels on Monday.

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Kole Calhoun

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Taylor Hearn

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Corey Seager

The eighth inning started with the Rangers down, 4-3. A bloop double by Corey Seager, which eluded Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, started the rally. From there, Angels reliever Ryan Tepera found himself nearly helpless due to location issues.

Adolis García grounded to Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo, whose late throw to first baseman Matt Duffy led to Duffy trying to field the throw in the baseline. He and García collided. While García singled, Duffy had to leave the game and was replaced by Jared Walsh. But, Seager scored on the play to tie the game.

Then the dam broke. Jonah Heim pinch-hit for Nick Solak and walked. Kole Calhoun — who homered earlier in the game — walked to load the bases. Nathaniel Lowe, who pinch-hit earlier in the game and was hitting .429 for his career with the bases loaded, singled to right to score García and break the tie. The Angels pulled Tepera for Cesar Valdez.

It didn’t help. On his first pitch, Valdez allowed a single to Sam Huff, which scored Heim and Calhoun. Eli White followed with a single to left field that slipped under the glove of the Angels’ Brandon Marsh, and the three-base error allowed White to score. He also drove in a run.

From there, Nick Sborz handled the ninth inning to secure the Rangers’ win. Dennis Santana (1-1) claimed the win for the Rangers after pitching a scoreless top of the eighth, while Tepera (1-1) took the loss.

Huff led the Rangers with three hits, while Calhoun went 2-for-3 and hit his third home run in three games.

The game’s two starting pitchers — the Rangers’ Taylor Hearn and the Angels’ Reid Detmers — didn’t have particularly effective outings.

Hearn held the Angels down for just two innings before giving up a three-run third, punctuated by a solo home run by Taylor Ward and a two-run home run by Rendon. That put the Rangers down 3-1. Hearn eventually left the game after giving up a leadoff walk to Angels outfielder Mike Trout in the fifth, but the game was tied at 3-3 at the time. That snapped Hearn’s two-start winning streak. 

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Matt Moore

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Chris Woodward

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Sam Huff

Calhoun’s home run in the fourth inning, a two-run shot, tied the game at 3-all and ended up chasing Detmers, who threw a no-hitter last Tuesday against Tampa Bay in his 11th career start.

The Angels grabbed the lead in the top of the seventh inning on a solo home run by Mike Trout off Rangers reliever Matt Moore. Trout finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Rendon and Rengifo also had two hits.

In the bottom half of the seventh, the Rangers loaded the bases with one out against Kyle Barraclough. But he struck out White and Marcus Semien.

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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