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 The Angels, who have put up 35 runs over their last three games,
seem to be hitting their stride at the right time.
The Angels (89-55) have won six straight for the third time this
season.
"We're extremely confident," said right fielder Kole Calhoun, who
hit his 15th home run. "We're in that stretch run, and it's crunch
time. Right now we are playing some great baseball."
As has been the case for much of the season, the entire lineup got
in on the action, with nine players scoring.
The Angels held a slim 2-1 lead for much of the game, but a
seven-run outburst in the eighth inning thwarted any chance of a
comeback.
Relievers Roman Mendez and Robbie Ross combined to give up six
earned runs, allowing the Angels to bat around in the bottom half of
the frame.
Center fielder Mike Trout drove in left fielder Collin Cowgill to
start the scoring spree, crushing a line drive off the
right-center-field wall for a triple.
"It seemed like all game we were waiting for that big hit and Trout
gets the triple and we roll from there," Calhoun said. "It can be an
explosive offense. We've got a lot of talented players, and if we're
all swinging the bat at the right times we can put up some big
runs."
The offensive binge continued as shortstop Erick Aybar hit a
two-run, ground-rule double and Cowgill hit a three-run triple to
make the score 9-1. Ross manage to get Calhoun out on strikes to put
an end to an inning that lasted more than 45 minutes.
The Rangers added two runs in the bottom half of the inning on
rookie first baseman Ryan Rua's double to deep right, scoring third
baseman Adrian Beltre and center fielder Leonys Martin.
The downward spiral continues for the Rangers (54-90), who lead the
league with 90 losses -- a mark they haven't reached in more than a
decade.
"This is a pretty potent offense we were facing tonight and the next
two days," Rangers interim manager Tim Bogar said.
Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis opened the game with three
straight 88 mph fastballs, all for strikes. Calhoun watched the
first two catch the outside corner of the plate, falling behind 0-2.
He didn't miss the third, lining it over the right-field fence for a
376-foot home run, his 15th homer of the season, to give the Angels
an early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Angels third baseman David Freese reached
second base on an error by right fielder Michael Choice. After
moving to third on Aybar's groundout, Freese scored on designated
hitter Brennan Boesch's sacrifice fly to deep left-center, making
the score 2-0.
The Rangers got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth on
Beltre's solo home run to center field, his 18th homer of the
season.
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Lewis finished strong, allowing three runs (two earned) on just
five hits over seven innings. After undergoing hip surgery late last
year, Lewis has shown marked improvement in the latter half of the
season. Despite a lopsided win-loss record of 3-7 after the All-Star
break, mostly due to the lack of run support, the right-hander has
tallied a respectable 3.90 ERA while stretching out his starts to an
average of 6.67 innings per game.
"I think he's feeling healthy," Bogar said. "He got stronger as the
game went on. Colby has done a great job for us (this season)."
Despite the strong outing, Lewis was quick to downplay any
individual praise, dismissing any comparison of his performance to
his pre-surgery days.
"I don't really like all the comparison of who I was before," Lewis
said, referring to his 2010 and 2011 seasons. "As the years go on,
everybody learns and adjusts to their body and everybody finds a way
to get it done, and I think that's all I'm doing."
Angels starter Hector Santiago notched his fifth win of the season,
going five innings while allowing just one earned run on five hits.
"When we are this hot (offensively) it's huge," Santiago said,
referring to the comfort level the offensive gives him. "It allows
you to just go out there and pitch your game and try to keep the
other team under three runs and know that (the offense) is going to
put up six or seven."
NOTES: Rangers 2B Guilder Rodriguez, 31, holds the record for the
most minor league games played among all current players with no MLB
experience. He made his big-league debut Tuesday. ... Rangers CF
Engel Beltre is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday to insert a rod
in his left leg. Beltre has been through multiple rehab assignments
since June due to a stress fracture in his right tibia suffered in
spring training. ... Angels LF Josh Hamilton was out of the lineup
for the fifth straight game because of a stiff shoulder. Angels
manager Mike Scioscia said Hamilton's condition is becoming a
concern, pointing to slower than expected progress. ... Rangers 3B
Adrian Beltre hit his 18th home run of the season, giving him 24
consecutive games of reaching base. It is the second-longest active
streak in the MLB. Detroit's Victor Martinez leads with 27 games.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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