Anaheim, CA – Mike Trout hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning on Friday and the Angels defeated the Rangers, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game series.
Trout finished with three RBI, adding a run-scoring triple in the sixth. He scored the tying run later in that frame when Albert Pujols lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
"I'm just staying positive and I had a feeling I was going to come through," said Trout.
Jerome Williams (6-2) went seven innings and gave up two runs on seven hits to earn the win. He walked two and struck out four. Ernesto Frieri picked up his third save of the season for the Angels, who had won a season-high eight straight games before Wednesday's loss to the Yankees.
The Rangers were coming off of a 21-8 loss to the Mariners. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Friday, getting RBI singles from Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli, but couldn't avoid their third straight setback.
Colby Lewis (4-4) was charged with all four runs -- two earned -- over 6 2/3 innings, but Alexi Ogando gave up Trout's bases-loaded, go-ahead single.
Beltre's RBI came in the first inning, when he hit a line drive to left field on the heels of Josh Hamilton's double. In the fourth Napoli drove home Michael Young, who led off with a single and moved to third on David Murphy's base hit.
The Angels' recorded their first extra-base hit of the game in the sixth inning, when John Hester began the frame with a ground-rule double to left. Trout followed with a triple off the right-field wall, then crossed the plate on Pujols' sac fly, making it 2-2.
Lewis retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh but was relieved after he allowed a single to Howie Kendrick, then hit Erick Aybar with a pitch. Ogando induced pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis into a soft grounder towards second, but Ian Kinsler bobbled the ball and the bases were loaded.
Trout then flared a soft liner into shallow center, pushing across the deciding runs.
"Ian is one of the surest hands in the game, he just didn't pick it up," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "The next hitter comes up and there's the game."
Game Notes
Williams improved to 8-0 in eight career starts in Anaheim...The Angels had lost six of their previous seven games to the Rangers...Lewis has received three runs of support or fewer in nine of his 11 starts.
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