Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels Box Score on Aug 23, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 24, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Adrian Beltre homered in his first two at-bats Wednesday.

However, it was his ground ball in the 10th inning that was just as instrumental in helping the Texas Rangers to a 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.

Besides the two home runs, Beltre also had a sixth-inning single. in the 10th inning with the score tied at 4, Beltre stepped into the batter's box against Angels reliever Eduardo Paredes with Elvis Andrus on second and no outs.

After falling behind in the count at 1-2, Beltre hit a ground ball to second base, moving Andrus to third with one out, just as a team player is supposed to do.

The Rangers' bats took it from there.

After two walks loaded the bases, Rougned Odor broke the tie with a sacrifice fly, and Robinson Chirinos and Drew Robinson followed with consecutive RBI singles to give Texas a 7-4 lead and ultimately its second win in the first three contests of the four-game series.

Chirinos also homered and singled earlier in the game.

The Rangers (63-63) likely would have won the game in nine innings if it weren't for Angels center fielder Mike Trout's throw in the top of the ninth. The Rangers had two on and two out when Shin-Soo Choo singled to center off Bud Norris.

Chirinos tried to score from second, but Trout fielded the ball cleanly and fired a perfect throw on the fly to catcher Martin Maldonado, who applied the tag. The Rangers challenged the call, but after a video review, the play was upheld and the Angels were out of the inning.

The win moved the Rangers within two games of the Minnesota Twins for the American League's second wild card. The Angels (65-62) fell a half-game behind Minnesota.

Rangers left-hander Alex Claudio (3-1) retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings to earn the win over Paredes (0-1).

The 10th inning didn't go quite as smoothly for the Rangers as Jose Leclerc walked Cameron Maybin and Trout to start the ending, getting the hook from manager Jeff Banister.

Tony Barnette replaced Leclerc and got Albert Pujols to hit into a double play. Kole Calhoun followed with an RBI single, but Barnette retired Andrelton Simmons on a fly ball for his first save of the season.

Angels starter Andrew Heaney, making his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, gave up four runs on eight hits, three of the runs coming in on solo homers.

The numbers would have been worse for Heaney if not for reliever Yusmeiro Petit, who bailed Heaney out of a jam in the sixth inning.

Heaney started the inning by giving up a single to Beltre and a double to Nomar Mazara. With runners on second and third and no outs, Petit replaced Heaney and struck out Mike Napoli.

After an intentional walk to Odor, Petit struck out Chirinos and got Ryan Rua on a flyout to end the inning.

That kept the Angels within a run at 4-3, and allowed them to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Luis Valbuena.

Rangers starter Andrew Cashner entered the game pitching well. He had not allowed more than three runs in any of his previous seven starts, going back to June 29.

However, he allowed a three-run homer by Valbuena in the fourth inning and then Valbuena's RBI single in the sixth. In all, Cashner gave up four runs on seven hits and one walk in six innings.

The Rangers put up single runs in the second, third and fourth innings, all coming on solo home runs against Heaney. Robinson Chirinos hit his 15th homer in the third inning, and Beltre hit his two home runs in the second and fourth innings, Nos. 15 and 16 of the season.

They were career home runs 460 and 461, moving him past Miguel Cabrera for No. 37 all-time.

Cashner sailed through three innings, allowing only two baserunners on a single and a walk. But in the fourth, after singles by Pujols and Simmons, Cashner's 1-2 breaking ball to Luis Valbuena was hammered for a three-run homer, tying the game.

The Rangers regained the lead in the fifth at 4-3, getting a leadoff single from Chirinos, who eventually came around to score on a single by Shin-Soo Choo.

NOTES: Angels RHP Troy Scribner will be called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday and make the start against the Rangers, replacing RHP JC Ramirez (elbow). ... Angels 3B Yunel Escobar, out since Aug. 6 with a strained oblique muscle, took part in baseball activities and did agility drills before the game. Barring any setbacks, Escobar could begin a rehab assignment in a few days and return to the big league roster around Sept. 1. ... Rangers 3B Joey Gallo, placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list Tuesday, joined the Rangers in Anaheim and took part in a light workout. Gallo, who leads the club with 35 home runs, also sustained a non-displaced nasal fracture Sunday in a collision with RHP Matt Bush as the two chased a pop fly. Gallo, though, said he is hopes to rejoin the active roster when he is eligible Tuesday.