Rangers 7, Angels 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mitch Moreland's three-run homer highlighted a six-run third inning for the Texas Rangers in a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Rangers starter Derek Holland (3-1) made sure the outburst was enough by throwing six scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and no walks.
Leadoff hitter Rougned Odor led the Rangers with three doubles. The Angels did not score until the ninth inning when Albert Pujols homered.
The Rangers, who also won 4-2 on Friday, assured themselves of the series win over their American League West rivals. The Angels came to Arlington after a three-game sweep of World Series champion Kansas City.
Both teams' aces, the Angels' Garrett Richards and the Rangers' Cole Hamels, square off in the series finale on Sunday at Globe Life Park.
The Rangers have won four straight after snapping a four-game losing streak. They finished April with a 14-10 record and are in first place in the AL West.
A year ago, the Rangers limped to a 7-14 April record before rebounding to win the division.
A shaky ninth inning by Rangers reliever Phil Klein kept the Angels from being shut out. Pujols' solo shot was followed by a double by Kole Calhoun, who scored on a bloop single by C.J. Cron.
The Rangers erupted for six runs in the third for a 7-0 lead. At one point in the inning, the Rangers were 8-for-8 with a sacrifice fly.
It all started after a lengthy delay for a replay review. After a single by Delino DeShields, Odor lashed a ball down the right-field line.
Initially, the ball was ruled foul, with Odor showing his displeasure as he ran toward first. A video review showed chalk flying when the ball landed. Odor was given a double, but the speedy DeShields was sent to third.
No matter. The Rangers went on to pound out eight hits in the inning, the biggest a three-run blast to right field by Moreland.
After the Moreland homer, Angels starter Matt Shoemaker gave up a double to Elvis Andrus, his ninth batter in the inning, and was replaced by Jose Alvarez.
Shoemaker allowed nine hits -- five for extra bases -- in 2 1/3 innings.
The Rangers posted a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Odor led off with a double and scored three batters later on a Prince Fielder double.
The Angels' highlight in the early going was a diving catch in right field by Calhoun, who was horizontal when he snared Andrus' liner in the second.
Yunel Escobar tripled to lead off the game but was stranded.
Cron hit a two-out triple in the second that Rangers rookie Nomar Mazzaro kept from the leaving the ballpark by leaping at the wall and getting a glove on it. Cron was stranded after Carlos Perez flied out.
NOTES: Rangers RHP Yu Darvish, coming back from Tommy John elbow surgery, is scheduled to make his first rehab start on Sunday at Double-A Frisco. ... Angels LHP Andrew Heaney, after seeking medical opinions on his forearm strain, will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection and be out for at least six more weeks. ... Rangers OF Shin-Soo Choo said a recent MRI exam revealed his strained calf is 80 percent healed. He hopes to go on a rehab assignment within a couple of weeks. ... Angels LHP Tyler Skaggs has been shut down after experiencing shoulder stiffness and will likely have an MRI on Monday. Skaggs, who missed all of 2015 with Tommy John surgery, was scratched from his Monday start at Triple-A Salt Lake City because of fatigue. ... Angels OF Craig Gentry was out of the lineup Saturday with a stiff back.