Choo, Pence hit home runs in Rangers 7-6 loss to Angels
ANAHEIM (AP) — Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun scored on wild pitches in a six-run seventh inning Sunday that gave the Los Angeles Angels a 7-6 comeback win over the Texas Rangers.
Trout hit a solo homer in the first off Ariel Jurado to give the Angels an early lead. It was Trout’s 12th home run of the year, tied for the team lead with Tommy La Stella. Trout was 2 for 3 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Shohei Ohtani tied the game at 5 in the seventh with a sacrifice fly off reliever Jeffrey Springs to score La Stella. Trout and Calhoun then scored on wild pitches in consecutive at-bats, with Trout’s run giving the Angels the lead and Calhoun, diving headfirst, extending it to 7-5. During that inning, Luis Rengifo had a two-run single to contribute to the comeback.
With runners at the corners in the ninth, pinch-hitter Nomar Mazara grounded out against reliever Justin Anderson to end it. Anderson allowed an RBI double to Shin-Soo Choo but earned his first save of the season.
Choo and Hunter Pence each hit a solo homer for Texas.
Andrew Heaney pitched well in his season debut for Los Angeles. Heaney, bothered by elbow inflammation in spring training, struck out 10 and allowed two hits — both home runs — in five innings. He threw 85 pitches.
David Fletcher had three hits for the Angels.
Los Angeles won consecutive games against the Rangers in dramatic fashion. One day earlier, pinch-hitter Jared Walsh delivered a walk-off single to give the Angels a comeback victory.
Pence had two hits and two RBIs on Sunday, including a broken-bat RBI double in a three-run sixth that gave Texas a 5-1 lead. Logan Forsythe and Rougned Odor had run-scoring singles.
Springs allowed four earned runs on four hits in the seventh and didn’t record an out.
Jurado didn’t run into much trouble until the seventh. He was charged with two earned runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Rain started to come down in the second inning but it was never enough to cause a delay.
HARVEY SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
After one of the worst starts of Matt Harvey‘s career, the Angels right-hander landed on the injured list with a back strain. He took a couple of days off but said he would resume throwing Monday. He is not expected to get an MRI.
“It’s all right. It’s getting better,” Harvey said. “The last thing I wanted to do was be on the (IL) again. Clearly, it wasn’t something I could work through. It was kind of hurting performance. It’s something we’ve got to make sure is better, whether it was 10 days or a little bit longer. It will be something we have to figure out.”
Harvey, who gave up eight earned runs and seven hits — four of which were homers — in 2 2/3 innings against the Twins, said he didn’t tell anyone about his back issue because it was “a little bit me being stubborn and trying to fight through things.”
Harvey is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: OF Justin Upton (turf toe) will accompany the team on the eight-game road trip that starts Monday in Oakland, but won’t be activated. … C Kevan Smith (seven-day concussion list) was cleared to resume baseball activities.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Lance Lynn (6-3, 4.67 ERA) pitches Monday at Seattle. Lynn had a season-best 11 strikeouts Tuesday against the Mariners. He is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts versus Seattle this season.
Angels: RHP Felix Pena (2-1, 3.30) was expected to pitch Monday in Oakland, but the Angels will likely use an opener for him. He pitched in relief Sunday, so plans could change. Pena threw five innings and allowed one run on four hits against Minnesota in his last start.
