Mazara's homer helps guide Rangers past Angels

[May 25, 2016]  ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas rookie Nomar Mazara helped fill a huge void in left-hander Martin Perez's season on Tuesday.

The Rangers' right fielder reached base four times and went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer in the Texas Rangers' 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Mazara's seventh home run of the season, a sixth-inning shot, was insurance and much-needed run support for Perez, who unquestionably welcomed the offensive backing.

Perez, who threw six shutout innings, entered the game owning the second-lowest run support in the American League, just 2.15 runs per nine innings. At one point, the Rangers went 21 1/3 consecutive innings without a run of support for Perez between May 3 and the sixth inning of his last start.

Perez (2-4) struck out six while allowing five hits and two walks. Three relievers pitched an inning apiece to seal the win.

"Nomar is a guy that we've seen stays calm in the box," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "When he gets a quality pitch to hit, he finds the barrel. These guys were pulling hard for Perez. They haven't been able to put a lot of runs across the plate for him. They wanted badly to put him out front."

Right-hander Sam Dyson earned his fifth save by working a perfect ninth for Texas, which is 11-6 in its past 17 games. The Angels fell for the first time in three games.

Mazara had a hand in all four Texas runs. He scored on Elvis Andrus' double in the fourth, and as he was caught trying to steal in the eighth, Ian Desmond scored the Rangers' final run.

Jhoulys Chacin (0-1) took the loss in his third start since being acquired from the Atlanta Braves on May 11. The right-hander was responsible for three of Texas' runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four.

He also hit Adrian Beltre with a pitch before Mazara's home run.

"I threw a hanging change and Mazara hit it out," said Chacin. "Maybe I didn't throw it with a lot of conviction. I was trying to make a good pitch down and away. He had a good game today. Perez pitched really well today, too. It was just one of those days."

While Perez got the run support, he did his part in getting out of trouble in the Angels' half of the sixth to preserve a one-run lead.

Consecutive singles put runners at the corners with no outs, but Perez recorded outs on three of the next four hitters, including a strikeout of Mike Trout. Banister had a reliever ready, but he opted to stick with his starter.

"I wanted to give him an opportunity to grind through it," Banister said. "Felt like Perez was still our guy, still sharp, still throwing strikes. It was as calm as he's been in those situations all season."

Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara (30) is congratulated after hitting a two run home run in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels by second baseman Rougned Odor (12) and shortstop Hanser Alberto (2) and manager Jeff Banister (28) at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Texas won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Kole Calhoun accounted for the Angels' only run, coming home on first baseman Albert Pujols' groundout in the eighth off Texas right-hander Matt Bush.

Carlos Perez reached base three times while going 2-for-3.

Desmond registered his team-leading 17th multihit game, going 3-for-4.

Andrus' double down the left-field line in the fourth scored Mazara from first base for the first run of the game.

Perez, meanwhile, outdueled Chacin early.

After pitching around a pair of consecutive singles in second, Perez set down nine of the next 10 hitters. A hit by Carlos Perez to lead off the fifth was erased by a double play groundout to Andrus, who fielded Gregorio Petit's grounder behind second, stepped on the base and threw to first.

"He had really good stuff," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said of Perez. "He threw the ball hard, used his changeup well and was throwing strikes early. He pitched a good game for those guys."

NOTES: In anticipation of Yu Darvish's first start since Tommy John surgery, Texas pitching coach Doug Brocail said the team will limit the right-hander to 85-90 pitchers on Saturday against Pittsburgh. ... CF Mike Trout, who has been in the lineup in all 46 of Los Angeles' games this season, made his second start of the year at DH. ... Rangers officials indicated that C Robinson Chirinos (broken arm) could return before the 10-12 week timeframe originally laid out. ... Los Angeles RHP A.J. Achter and RHP Al Alburquerque cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake.

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