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ARLINGTON, Texas -- With sluggers such as Josh Hamilton, Juan Gonzalez and Jose Canseco making their home there, Globe Life Park has seen many a majestic home run in its 22 seasons. Texas Rangers rookie Nomar Mazara may have topped them all with a 491-foot shot Wednesday.
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The home run, in the second inning of the Rangers' 15-9 win over the Los Angeles Angels, landed halfway up the upper deck of the home run porch in right field.
"Wow, that was a grown-up homer right there," Rangers catcher Bobby Wilson said. "That's where the big boys go."
Mazara's homer was part of a 32-hit barrage, 18 of them by the Rangers, and sparked a minor controversy about the way tape-measure blasts are recorded.
Major League Baseball's Statcast system provided the 491-foot measurement, making it officially the longest home run in the majors this season.
That would make it the longest homer in the stadium's history, topping a 490-foot rocket by Hamilton in 2010.
However, the Rangers would not verify the stadium record because the new measuring system has only been in place since last season. Under the old measuring procedure, Mazara's homer would be listed as 442 feet.
That is still an impressive homer, record or no record. It marked the second day in a row Mazara homered into the upper portion of the home run porch.
"I don't go up (to the plate looking for a home run)," Mazara said. "It depends on the count, especially yesterday, 2-0, I was looking for something in, and he threw me a changeup. Today, I just stay on the ball and see it pretty good and put a good swing on it."
Mazara also had a two-run, bases-loaded single as the Rangers broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. Texas sent 10 batters to the plate during the sixth, which ended with an 11-6 lead.
The advantage grew to 13-6 in the seventh on Adrian Beltre's two-run single.
The Angels were not done, though. Rafael Ortega hit a three-run shot, his first major league homer, to cut the deficit to four.
The Ortega homer chased reliever Shawn Tolleson, recently demoted from the closer role, and led to the tying run coming on deck in the form of Albert Pujols.
Both teams scored a run in the first and three runs in the second to get the starting pitchers off to a rocky start.
Angels left-hander Hector Santiago was the first to exit, lasting just 2 1/3 innings. Santiago, who was ejected after 2 2/3 innings in his previous start, allowed six runs (five earned) and five hits Wednesday.
"It just kind of fell apart," Santiago said. "I didn't have good stuff today. Some seeing-eye single stuff got through. Just an all-around bad day. I fell behind in counts, not making some great pitches. It just didn't go our way."
Rangers starter Colby Lewis saw his five-game streak of lasting at least seven innings end. Lewis, who also allowed six runs, went five-plus innings and was pulled after giving up hits to the first two hitters he faced in the sixth.
It was the Rangers' four runs in the sixth, marked by bloop hits and a throwing error, that frustrated the Angels the most.
"I think we just were a little sloppy," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Some things in that inning got away from us, for sure. They know it, too. You know, it happens."
After the Angels threatened in the eighth, the Rangers responded with two more runs.
Wilson, batting ninth in the order, singled up the middle for an RBI. Wilson wound up going 4-for-4 for the first four-hit game of his career.
Rougned Odor, awaiting the results of his appeal of an eight-game suspension for fighting, brought in the 15th run with a sacrifice fly.
Odor, who scored three times, bunted for a single earlier, but his three RBIs came without getting a hit. Odor drove in runs on a groundout, a fielder's choice and a flyout.
"He's a huge player for us, a big player for us," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "We're obviously going to miss him however many days it is, but we like where he's at."
The Angels' late rally prompted the Rangers to use setup man Matt Bush to finish the eighth, and Sam Dyson, the recently designated closer, to pitch the ninth.
NOTES: The Angels recalled INF Kaleb Cowart from Triple-A Salt Lake. LHP Lucas Luetge was designated for assignment. ... Angels LHP C.J. Wilson (left shoulder inflammation) and INF Cliff Pennington (left hamstring strain) were to begin rehab assignments on Wednesday at Class A Inland Empire. ... Rangers 1B Mitch Moreland snapped an 0-for-18 streak with a double in the third inning. ... Rangers SS Elvis Andrus extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the second inning. ... Rangers RHP Colby Lewis came into the game with a streak of lasting at least seven innings in his last five starts.
