| Advertisement |
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre has been hitting home runs for a long time so his 452nd career homer Saturday night should come as no surprise. But it was Texas outfielder Drew Robinson's two-run shot in the sixth that helped seal a 5-2 victory for the Rangers over the Los Angeles Angels. Robinson has started for the Rangers twice this season and homered in each start.
Advertisement
The win gave the Rangers their first winning streak of at least three games since they won five straight from June 9-13. The Angels have lost five of their last six games and are three games under .500 for the first time since May 13.
Texas led 3-1 going into the sixth before Robinson collected his third big-league hit, with all three going for extra bases. He made his first start for the Rangers in left field, where he has just 14 career starts as a professional. Robinson knows his role is to produce when he gets to play and he did Saturday with his homer off reliever Blake Parker.
"Hopefully I can keep that pace up," Robinson said. "That was one of those swings when you definitely know something good's going to happen. Then you look up and see the trajectory. It felt good from the start."
The two homers were enough offense for Texas starter Tyson Ross (2-1), who struggled with his command but allowed just one run in 5 2/3 innings. Ross walked two, hit two, threw a wild pitch but only allowed four hits.
"I'm feeling pretty good," said Ross, who has allowed two runs or less in three of his five starts for Texas. "I definitely have some work to do. I look forward to coming out stronger in the second half. Thus far, I've been able to put the team in a decent position in a couple of games. With the rotation we have and the offense, it's a good situation to be pitching in and I'm just trying to do my part."
Los Angeles right-hander Jesse Chavez (5-10) has now lost each of his last three starts and hasn't won a game since June 6. He was charged with three runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.
The Rangers got to Chavez for a run in the first on an RBI double from Nomar Mazara. Los Angeles got the run right back in the top of the second when Yunel Escobar led off the frame with his sixth homer of the year.
That would be all the offense for the Angels until Cameron Maybin's RBI grounder with one out in the ninth accounted for the game's final run. The Angels were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position one night after not having an at-bat in that situation.
"The bats weren't bad," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "We got a lot of counts in our favor. He (Ross) threw almost as many balls as he did strikes. When push came to shove, we didn't get the key hit with some guys on. Offensively it's been a struggle on this trip. We haven't swung the bats well this week. Consequently, every pitch we make on the mound has possibly more meaning."
Beltre gave the Rangers the lead again in the third. After Elvis Andrus led off the inning with a single, Beltre ripped a two-run homer to left with one out to put the Rangers up 3-1. The homer moved him past Carl Yastrzemski and into sole possession of 38th on the all-time list.
Robinson upped the lead two innings later.
Andrus and Shin-Soo Choo each had two hits for Texas. Andrelton Simmons had three hits for a Los Angeles team that's scored just four runs in the last three games.
"We just didn't capitalize," Maybin said. "Tyson was effectively kind of all over the place. He made some good pitches when he needed to. We've got to try to do a better job of capitalizing on our opportunities. We had them, and we didn't."
NOTES: The Rangers activated SS Elvis Andrus from the paternity list before the game. He missed two games. To make room for him, the club optioned INF Jurickson Profar to Triple-A Round Rock. ... Texas 1B Joey Gallo was out of the lineup for a second straight game because of soreness in his left hamstring. ... Angels CF Mike Trout went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in his first rehab appearance in the outfield for Class A Inland Empire. Trout has been out since May 29 with a left ligament thumb injury.
