Trout, Choi go deep as Angels top Rangers
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mike Trout's three-run, seventh-inning home run led a four-run rally that gave the Los Angeles Angels a 9-5 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night at Angel Stadium.
Ji-Man Choi added his first major league home run as the Angels earned their eighth win in 10 games and their fourth in succession, matching their season high.
Right-hander JC Ramirez (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief with one strikeout and a hit batsman for his first American League win. Ramirez was 1-3 with the Cincinnati Reds earlier this season.
The Rangers' Adrian Beltre hit his 426th career home run, tying him with Miguel Cabrera and Hall of Famer Billy Williams for 48th place all time. Rougned Odor and Mitch Moreland also hit home runs for Texas, which has lost 12 of 16.
The Angels broke a 5-5 tie with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning against reliever Keone Kela (1-1).
After being hit by a pitch, Jett Bandy took third base on Andrelton Simmons' double down the right field line. One out later, Kole Calhoun hit a sharp ground ball that second baseman Odor speared while playing in. Odor threw to home plate, but catcher Bobby Wilson juggled the ball as Bandy slid around Wilson.
Trout followed by pounding Kela's 96 mph fastball into the Angels' bullpen in left field for a three-run home run, his 19th long ball of the season.
Los Angeles, which trailed 4-0 after two innings, rallied in the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead. The hosts combined two hits, a hit batsman, a wild pitch and an error into two runs.
Right-hander A.J. Griffin yielded a single to Calhoun and hit Trout with no outs before being replaced by Tony Barnette, whose wild pitch moved Calhoun and Trout into scoring position.
After Barnette struck out Albert Pujols, Daniel Nava hit a ground ball that Odor bobbled. Calhoun came home on the play while Trout went to third base. Johnny Giavotella then singled to center field to score Trout.
The Rangers tied the score in the top of the seventh when Nomar Mazara and Wilson hit successive doubles off Fernando Salas with one out. Ramirez then relieved Salas, and he induced a popout from Ian Desmond and struck out Odor to end the threat.
Texas used back-to-back home runs from Odor and Beltre to build a 3-0 lead in the first inning against right-hander Nick Tropeano. One out after Jurickson Profar walked, Odor lined Tropeano's 91 mph fastball into the right-field bleachers for his team-leading 17th home run, a two-run drive.
Beltre followed by hitting another 91 mph fastball over the fence in left-center field for his 13th homer this year.
Moreland extended the Rangers' lead to 4-0 by hitting his 12th home run of the season in the second inning. Moreland propelled Tropeano's 92 mph fastball about one-third of the way up the right-field bleachers.
The Angels narrowed their deficit in the fourth by turning three walks, a single and a sacrifice fly into two runs against Griffin, who retired the first nine batters he faced.
Yunel Escobar and Calhoun began the inning with walks, then Mike Trout lined a single off third baseman Beltre's glove to load the bases. Albert Pujols walked to force Escobar home, and Daniel Nava hit the sacrifice fly that scored Calhoun.
In the fifth, Choi drew Los Angeles within 4-3 with his first major league home run. Choi hit Griffin's first pitch, an 87 mph fastball, into the right-field bleachers for a solo drive.
Tropeano lasted only two innings and 43 pitches before exiting due to elbow soreness. He was relieved by Jhoulys Chacin, whom he replaced in the rotation. Tropeano walked one, hit one and struck out two while surrendering four runs on three hits, all of them home runs.
NOTES: Texas SS Jurickson Profar replaced Elvis Andrus in the starting lineup. Andrus, who had the day off, owns a .315 career average at Angel Stadium. ... Rangers C Bryan Holaday will begin a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Round Rock. ... Los Angeles claimed 2B Sean Coyle off waivers from the Boston Red Sox and optioned him to Double-A Arkansas. Coyle has spent the season with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. ... The Angels placed C Geovany Soto (left knee inflammation) on the 15-day disabled list, moved INF Cliff Pennington (left hamstring strain) to the 60-day disabled list, designated RHP A.J. Achter for assignment and purchased the contract of C Juan Graterol from Triple-A Salt Lake. ... Los Angeles RHP Matt Shoemaker was named the American League's Player of the Week. Shoemaker threw a six-hit shutout with a career-best 13 strikeouts Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.