All it took was two series.
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Pujols hit a pair of three-run homers in his first six-RBI game since 2009, and the Angels remained unbeaten since the All-Star break with their season-best fifth straight victory, 8-6 over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night. He gave up back-to-back doubles to Nomar Mazara and former Angel Bobby Wilson to tie the game.
“He apologized three times, actually”, Pujols said (via the New York Times). “Right now it’s working”.
What’s happening for Los Angeles is greater offensive production than the team has seen all season. Moreland had his 12th multi-hit game. Matt Bush replaced him and struck out Albert Pujols and Ji-Man Choi before getting Andrelton Simmons to foul out. “When you’re scoring runs and you’re winning, it’s going to look like you have a lot more life, but even in the tough times, our clubhouse has been good, our bench has been good”. The rally fell short when Rougned Odor flew out to left field.
Angels: Hector Santiago (7-4, 4.27 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season against Texas.
The left-hander, who improved to 8-4 with a 4.32 ERA, walked the bases loaded with two outs in the second but was saved by left fielder Todd Cunningham, who made an over-the-shoulder running catch of Jurickson Profar’s drive on the warning track to end the inning. “We’re having fun. Every lineup that’s out there every day, we’re having good at-bats and putting the ball in the play”. “I just hit it and it went out”. Pujols hammered a bad pitch for another three-run homer.
The Angels added single runs in the third and fourth innings, but the Rangers got a solo homer from Mitch Moreland in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
“He struggled with fastball command all night”, Scioscia said. “Instead of throwing his changeup or changing speeds, he tried to throw it harder, and consequently he lost his release point”.
“It didn’t seem like he got in sync”.
Ian Desmond singled in the third and scored on Adrian Beltre’s triple to left.
In Baltimore, Maryland, the Angels are batting in the sixth inning and C.J. Cron is hit in the wrist, the second time in three innings.
The Rangers have gone 4-14 since June 28. Rangers OF Shin-Soo Choo was placed on the DL with an inflamed lower back. The Rangers called up OF Delino DeShields and INF Hanser Alberto from Triple-A Round Rock….
Lincecum gave up nine hits and five runs in five innings, but also escaped several jams.
The first man out of a fresh bullpen was sixth starter Jhoulys Chacin, who had been in the Angels rotation until earlier this month, when a string of poor outings cost him his spot.
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Next: a six-game trip to Houston and Kansas City.
