Adolis Garcia’s one-out home run in the eighth inning snapped a 4-4 tie and lifted the Texas Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.
The Angels trailed 4-1 early, but rallied against Rangers starter Max Scherzer, who was making his fourth start of the season after returning from offseason back surgery.
Logan O’Hoppe had two home runs and a single off Scherzer, his second homer of the game in the fourth inning tied the score at 4-4. Both bullpens put up zeroes in the fifth through seventh innings, setting the stage for Garcia in the eighth.
Garcia got ahold of a 97-mph sinker on a 1-2 pitch from Angels reliever Luis Garcia for his 17th homer of the season, helping the Rangers win their fifth consecutive game. Josh Smith also homered among his three hits for Texas.
Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel had two doubles — both against Scherzer, who got a no-decision after throwing 6 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter, making 95 pitches.
Kirby Yates pitched a scoreless ninth for Texas and earned his 14th save.
Angels opener Roansy Contreras retired the first two batters of the game and then got ahead in the count 0-2 on Smith, who fouled off two bunt attempts.
But on the third pitch of the at-bat, Smith hit a changeup from Contreras into the seats in right-center field to give Texas a 1-0 lead.
The Angels got the run back against Scherzer in the second inning when O’Hoppe hit his first homer of the night, jumping on the first pitch he saw.
The Rangers took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the third inning. Marcus Semien had an RBI ground-rule double and Smith had an infield single that drove in a run, knocking Contreras out of the game.
Hunter Strickland entered for Los Angeles with the bases loaded, and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Wyatt Langford but otherwise escaped any damage.
The Angels got within 4-3 in the bottom of the third, getting a double from Anthony Rendon, an RBI double from Schanuel and an RBI single from Taylor Ward.
O’Hoppe’s second homer of the game off Scherzer tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth inning.
Scherzer was able to get to the seventh inning, but was replaced with two out and runners on second and third. Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc walked Rendon to load the bases, but retired Schanuel on a grounder to first to end the threat.
–Field Level Media