Rangers at Angels
The Texas Rangers woke up in the late innings last time out to even the series and go for the win when they visit the Los Angeles Angels for the rubber match of their three-game set on Sunday. Texas recorded just one hit over eight innings on Saturday before pulling out a 3-2 win in 10 frames to improve to 3-3 on its seven-game road trip.
The Rangers trailed 2-0 before scoring one run in three of their final four innings, including the winner on Ronald Guzman's single in the 10th. Los Angeles built its lead on solo homers by Mike Trout in the opening frame and Ian Kinsler in the sixth but went on to suffer its fifth loss in seven contests. Kinsler enters the series finale with a six-game hitting streak during which he has gone 12-for-24 with three doubles, three homers and six RBIs. Trout finished a double shy of the cycle Saturday as he belted his 19th homer in the Angels' 59th game - a club record - and passed Bobby Grich for eighth place on the team's all-time hits list with a third-inning triple, which was his 1,104th hit.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Doug Fister (1-5, 4.09 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (3-4, 3.60)
Fister defeated Houston in his season debut on March 30 but is winless since, going 0-5 with a 4.32 ERA in nine starts. The 34-year-old Californian took the loss at Seattle on Monday despite giving up only two runs and six hits over six innings. Fister yielded three runs in five frames at home on April 9 to fall to 3-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 14 career turns against the Angels.
Skaggs also is hungry for a victory, as he has gone 0-3 over six starts since defeating the Astros in Houston on April 23 by scattering four hits over seven scoreless innings. The 26-year-old, who also hails from the Golden State, was tagged for five runs on six hits and three walks over five frames in a loss at Detroit on Monday. Skaggs limited the Rangers to one run on five hits and four walks in five innings on the road on April 10 to improve to 3-2 with a 6.00 ERA in nine career starts against Texas.
WALK-OFFS
1. Trout is 5-for-9 over the first two contests of the series and 9-for-25 during his six-game hitting streak.
2. Texas activated OF Carlos Tocci (hip) from the 10-day disabled list, optioned SS Hanser Alberto to Triple-A Round Rock and sent OF Eliezer Alvarez outright to Double-A Frisco.
3. Los Angeles placed OF Kole Calhoun (oblique) on the 10-day DL, optioned RHP Jaime Barria to Triple-A Salt Lake and recalled OF Michael Hermosillo and SS Kaleb Cowart from the Bees.