Texas two-steps to a sweep of Angels with 8-7 victory
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Reporting from Arlington, Texas -- It was almost exactly a year ago that the Texas Rangers swept the Angels at the Ballpark in Arlington, giving them a 4½-game lead in the American League West.
The moment held little long-term significance. The Rangers eventually faded and the Angels went on to win their third consecutive division title.
Texas is in a similar spot following an 8-7 victory here Tuesday night that completed a two-game sweep of the Angels, holding a 4½-game advantage on its division rival.
Could this be history repeating itself?
“Last year was last year, brother,” Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. “This year is totally different. They’re a different ballclub, a little more mature and I think they’re ready to go. We know it’s going to be a battle.”
The Rangers feature a lineup that hit three home runs Tuesday and a bullpen that combined for 8 1/3 scoreless innings over the two games. They also have a spectacular defense led by shortstop Elvis Andrus, who made one of the top plays this season Monday when he ranged into shallow left field to field a grounder off the bat of Hunter before throwing him out at first base.
Resilience is another adjective that could be ascribed to Texas after it rallied from a 7-3 deficit Tuesday against Angels starter Jered Weaver, who also lost the final game of the Rangers’ early-season sweep last year. Texas scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning when Andrus chopped a double off third baseman Brandon Wood’s glove into left field and came home on Michael Young’s single to right off reliever Trevor Bell (1-1).
Weaver allowed four of his seven runs during a disastrous fifth inning in which the Rangers tied the score on Ian Kinsler’s two-run homer and Nelson Cruz’s two-run double off the base of the wall. Weaver struggled with his fastball command, walking three and striking out only one after coming into the game tied for the American League lead with 59 strikeouts.
“You have to put the blame somewhere, and you can put the blame on me,” Weaver said. “Any time you bring in garbage to a team like this and a stadium like this, you know you’re going to get hit around.”
The Rangers pounded Weaver for nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, including Michael Young’s two-run homer and a solo shot by Vladimir Guerrero against his former team, the only one in the major leagues he had not connected against in his career.
Weaver’s performance was so uncharacteristic — he had allowed six earned runs in 25 innings over his previous four starts — that he received pep talks from Manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher in the clubhouse afterward.
The Angels’ offense showed some pop against Rangers starter C.J. Wilson during a five-run fourth inning that included two-run homers by Hunter and Juan Rivera that gave the Angels a 5-2 lead.
They extended their advantage an inning later on Bobby Abreu’s run-scoring double and Kendry Morales’ RBI single before four Rangers relievers held them scoreless over the final four innings. Closer Nefti Feliz baffled the Angels in the ninth with a variety of pitches that ranged from 100 mph to 82 mph, striking out two batters to record his second save of the series.
Alas, the Angels have lost 10 of their last 12 road games and eight of their last 11 in Arlington.
“On the road we’re having a little trouble bringing our game onto the field,” Scioscia said. “But there’s a team out there that we feel is championship caliber and we have to keep working every day to bring it out of these guys.”
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