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Sports

Rangers try to secure big sweep of Angels

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

The Texas Rangers are doing their best to make the American ever four-game sweep of them at Angel Stadium.

The Rangers have won the first three games of this set and have stretched their lead atop the AL West to seven games ahead of the Angels. On Wednesday, Ian Kinsler blooped the tie-breaking two-run single in the eighth inning, boosting the Rangers to a 4-3 win.

"It's still early," Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz said. "We're not going to get comfortable. We've got to keep playing. Hopefully we get a chance to sweep the series."

Mitch Moreland added a solo homer and Michael Young went 3-for-5 in Texas' sixth straight triumph and ninth in 10 tries.

Koji Uehara surrendered a home run to Howie Kendrick with two outs in the eighth, but Neftali Feliz escaped a jam in the ninth to record his 24th save.

C.J. Wilson (12-5) struck out six batters over seven innings, while Angels starter Ervin Santana (9-9) gave up 10 hits over 7 2/3 frames and lost for the first time in 10 starts.

"This game was all about C.J. ... he did a great job," Young said.

Santana had won five straight starts and was 6-0 over his previous nine.

"Tonight it was all about scratching and clawing," Young said. "Facing a good pitcher like that who is throwing the ball as well as anybody in the game, you just have to be able to scratch and claw for runs and that's what we were able to do."

The Rangers will take aim at another one of Anaheim's impressive hurlers tonight, as they go up against AL All-Star Game starter Jered Weaver, who is coming off a horrific outing his last time out. Weaver absorbed the loss on Saturday in Toronto, surrendering eight runs and eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings to fall to 14-6 on the year, while raising his ERA to 2.13.

"The command wasn't there, everything was kind of flat, nothing was really sharp," Weaver said. "Usually I have a pitch I can go to to get me out of situations and I really didn't have that today. It's going to happen two or three times a year."

Weaver tossed seven scoreless innings to beat the Rangers the last time he faced them and is 9-5 lifetime against them with a 3.23 ERA in 23 starts.

Texas, meanwhile, will rely on the right arm of Colby Lewis, who is 11-8 with a 4.01 ERA. Lewis beat Oakland on Saturday, holding the Athletics to a run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings. He also struck out eight without walking a batter.

Lewis lost to the Angels back in April and is 3-3 with a 4.94 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) against them.

The Rangers have won seven of their 12 meetings with the Angels this season.