Angels 9, Rangers 6
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Los Angeles Angels pounded out 15 hits Sunday and used five relievers over the final five innings in a 9-6 win over the Texas Rangers.
A sacrifice fly by Yunel Escobar, scoring Shane Robinson, gave the Angels a 5-4 lead in the sixth.
That was enough to give Greg Mahle, the first of the Angels' relievers, his first major league win. Mahle (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning.
The win prevented a three-game sweep by the Rangers, who collected 13 hits in the finale.
Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron each had three hits for Los Angeles. Texas' Rougned Odor went 3-for-5.
The Angels broke the game open with a three-run eighth inning, highlighted by catcher Geovany Soto's second home run of the series.
Soto's solo shot, his third homer of the season, led off the inning. Robinson, just called up from Triple-A, walked, went to second on an Escobar single and scored on a Calhoun single. Escobar made it 8-4 when he scored on a double by Mike Trout.
The Angels scratched for a final run in the ninth inning with Cron scoring on a Robinson ground ball.
The Rangers managed two runs in the ninth off Joe Smith, the last of the Angels' bullpen arms.
The game was billed as a battle of aces, but after five innings, both starters were gone and the score was 4-4.
The Angels' Garrett Richards left first. Richards lasted just four innings and threw only 79 pitches while yielding four runs (one earned). He allowed six hits and was dispatched after giving up three runs in the fourth inning.
After walking the leadoff batter in the fourth, Richards threw away a potential double-play ball when he fielded a comebacker but whipped the ball wide of second base.
That led to Ian Desmond's RBI single and then Delino DeShields' two-out, bases-loaded hit that plated two for a 4-1 lead.
The Rangers' Cole Hamels then took the ball in the top of the fifth and coughed up the advantage.
Hamels issued three walks in the inning and loaded the bases twice, leading to three runs and a tie score.
The first run scored when Trout came up with the bases loaded and hit into a fielder's choice. After Albert Pujols drew Hamels' third walk of inning, Cron singled to right to score two runs.
Hamels did not come back for the sixth inning after allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks. He kept alive the Rangers' streak of 26 games with starters going at least five innings but snapped their streak of seven consecutive quality starts.
NOTES: The Angels sent down RHP Matt Shoemaker to Triple-A Salt Lake. Shoemaker was 1-4 with a 9.15 ERA in five starts. RHP A.J. Achter was recalled to take Shoemaker's roster spot. ... Angels OF Craig Gentry was placed on the 15-day disabled list with back stiffness. OF Shane Robinson was recalled from Salt Lake in a corresponding move. ... Rangers 3B prospect Joey Gallo was placed on the minor league DL (seven days) with a strained left groin. Gallo is hitting .254 with seven homers in 20 games at Triple-A Round Rock. ... Rangers OF Shin-Soo Choo, rehabbing a strained right calf, will travel with the club to Toronto to take batting practice.