Rangers rally in 9th to defeat Angels
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ian Desmond drove in Elvis Andrus in the ninth and the Texas Rangers added to their mammoth comeback win total by besting the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Monday night at Globe Life Park.
While their latest rally wasn't overly dramatic, the Rangers added to their baseball-best total of comeback victories (46) after taking the opener of the three-game series with their AL West rivals.
Texas (89-62) reduced its magic number to clinch the division to at least four, pending the outcome of Seattle's late start against Toronto. The Rangers also snapped a two-game skid.
Solo home runs from Nomar Mazara and Andrus, plus a solid outing from Martin Perez, set the table for another late-inning reversal of fortune. Sam Dyson (3-2) picked up the win in relief.
Perez went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. The lefty has four consecutive quality starts.
The Rangers opened the ninth with back-to-back hits from Andrus and Carlos Gomez, the latter a bunt single to set up runners at first and second. Desmond followed with an opposite-field liner to right to score Andrus easily.
The last-place Angels (65-85) took advantage of an umpire review to tie the game 1-1 in the sixth.
The sequence started with Yunel Escobar being thrown out at third after his drive to right appeared to momentarily get lodged under the outfield-wall padding. Mazara didn't throw up his hands to signal a ground-rule double, and instead started the relay that gunned down Escobar.
Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia challenged, and review determined it should have been a ground-rule double. Rangers manager Jeff Banister was then thrown out by crew chief Joe West for arguing.
Escobar would score on Mike Trout's triple into the right-field corner.
Carlos Perez put the Angels up 2-1 in the seventh with a two-out double to plate Jefry Marte.
The Rangers pulled even on Andrus' shot to center with two outs in the seventh off reliever Cody Ege.
Mazara broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the fifth against Angels starter Jhoulys Chacin. The rookie's 19th homer of the season just cleared left fielder Marte's glove to land in the visitor's bullpen.
The Rangers had runners on base in each of the first four innings, including two in the third. Chacin was not only able to keep Texas off the scoreboard, but he stayed on the mound after being drilled on the lower left leg by Johnathan Lucroy's liner in the fourth.
Mitch Moreland, who struck out against Chacin to end the fourth, was ejected on his way back to the dugout after exchanging words with home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley. Jurickson Profar replaced Moreland at first base.
Texas had its errorless streak end at seven straight games when Rougned Odor booted a sharp Trout grounder to lead off the fourth. The mistake didn't faze Perez, who coaxed a fly ball before striking out two Angels to end the inning.
NOTES: Texas announced that LHP Derek Holland will start Wednesday in the finale against the Angels. The first two starters for the Oakland series opening Friday will be LHP Cole Hamels and RHP Yu Darvish. ... The Angels have won the season series against Texas each of the last two years. The clubs were tied 8-8 this year going into the final three-game set. ... Angels OF Kole Calhoun was not with the team to remain with his wife for the birth of their first child. ... Texas' club record for home wins in a season is 52. The Rangers were 48-24 going into Monday with nine home games remaining.