May 2, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Alex Rios (51) rounds second base after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
ANAHEIM, Cal. – The Texas Rangers defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last night (5-2). The Texas Rangers have two more games in this series and start a 2-game series on Monday at Colorado Rockies. Tonight’s game will pin the Rangers’ LHP Matt Harrison (0-0, 3.00) against the Angels’ RHP Garrett Richards (2-0, 2.35). Here is your Rangers Roundup.
TEXAS RANGERS: (16-13, .552)
- Texas broke its 4-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles Angels last night
- Texas Rangers hold the 4th-best winning percentage in the American League and 10th-best in ML
- Oakland Athletics are on a 2-game losing streak, putting the Rangers 1.5 GB
- Last night’s game was Texas’ 8th come-from-behind win this season
- With 7 wins on the road, the team has rallied for the win 4 times
- Texas Rangers has now defeated Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6 straight times since a loss on 9/17/13 at Angel Stadium
- The Rangers are 7-6 (.538) away from Globe Life Park in 2014, T4th-best winning percentage in the A.L.
HOMERLESS NO MORE:
- Shin-Soo Choo hit a 407 ft. solo-home run, then Alex Rios hit a 2-run homer, both in the 6th inning
- The duo’s homers ended the VERY LONG 6-game, 62 innings homerless drought
- Last night marked the 4th time Texas has homered twice in a game this year
- The Choo-Rios homers was the 2nd time the Rangers have had back-to-back HR in the same inning (Prince Fielder and Kevin Kouzmanoff, 4/15/14 vs. Seattle Mariners)
- The Texas Rangers now have 16 HR for 2014, but still has 3rd fewest in ML
- This is the team’s fewest homers through 29 games in a season since 1981 (13)
RIOS GRANDE:
- Alex Rios’ 2-run homer in the 6th gave the Texas Rangers a 3-2 lead
- Rios’ home run produced his 2nd game-winning RBI this season
- With the team-high 14 RBI, 6 have been for the go-ahead, T6th in the A.L.
- Alex Rios has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games (13-37)
- Rios is batting .382 (21-55) in last 14 games to elevate from .276 to .327, 7th in A.L.
RANKED AMONG A.L.:
- Elvis Andrus T2nd in American League in SB (9) and SH (3)
- Robinson Chirinos 3rd lowest in A.L. in catchers ERA (3.00)
- Prince Fielder T9th in A.L. w/ 17 BB
- Mitch Moreland T1st in A.L. in pinch hits (3)
- Shin-Soo Choo 2nd in A.L. in OBP (.446)
- Leonys Martin has hit safely in 8 consecutive games (9-29) T4th longest current in A.L., ranks among A.L. leader in triples (T1st, 2), SB (T5th, 8), and sac bunts (T1st, 5), and is T7th with a .400 (10-25) average w/ RISP
HOLD PLEASE:
- Texas Rangers relievers had 4 holds last night (Aaron Poreda, Jason Frasor, Neal Cotts and Alexi Ogando), tying the club record for hold in one game
- The holds last night marked the 11th time it had been doen and first since 8/25/2010
- This was the 6th time, the season high, that a ML club has had 4 holds in a game
- The Texas Rangers bullpen has not allowed a run in its last 6.1 innings and issued only 3 runs in 19.0 innings in last 4 games
HE WORKS HARD FOR HIS MONEY:
- Alexi Ogando has pitched in 5 of the last 7 and 8 of Texas’ last 12 games
- With 16 overall appearances Alexi Ogando leads the A.L. and is T4th in the majors
- He is only the 6th Ranger to pitch as many as 16 times in team’s first 29 games in a season, since Aaron Fultz and Francisco Cordero in 2003
SORIA SAVES:
- Joakim Soria has retired each of the last 14 batters faced since Jed Lowrie reached on an error on 4/21/14 at Oakland Athletics
- He has held batters hitless in last 23 at bats since Jason Castro tripled on 4/12/14 vs. Houston Astros
- Soria holds the longest active streak of consecutive hitless batters in the majors
- Joakim Soria worked 7.0 scoreless innings with 9 K’s in last 7 games
- He has saves in 6 of his last 7 appearances beginning on 4/17/14
- Soria has converted all 7 save tries this season
- He is T1st in A.L. for most saves without a blown save this year
- Overall, Soria has converted 14 consecutive save tries since his last blown save on 8/10/2011 at Tampa Bay Rays
MINOR MOVES:
- RHP Matt West has been promoted to Round Rock (AAA)
- RHP Keone Kela has been promoted to Frisco (AA)
- RHP Abel De Los Santos has been promoted to Myrtle Beach (high A)
- INF Alex Buchholz goes on DL at Round Rock
- OF Lewis Brinson goes on DL at Hickory
ON DECK FOR TOMORROW:
- RHP Yu Darvish (1-1, 2.59) vs. LHP Tyler Skaggs (2-0, 3.34)
- You can tune in to FSSW/ 570 AM at 2:35 p.m. (CDT)
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