AP

Ohtani homers early, Angels rally late to beat Rangers 9-7

Jul 30, 2022, 9:29 AM | Updated: Jul 31, 2022, 1:04 pm

Los Angeles Angels' Luis Rengifo celebrates his two-run double during the eighth inning of the team...

Los Angeles Angels' Luis Rengifo celebrates his two-run double during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)


              Los Angeles Angels' Luis Rengifo celebrates his two-run double during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Los Angeles Angels' Luis Rengifo celebrates his two-run double during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Texas Rangers' Meibrys Viloria, left, celebrates his two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels with Jonah Heim during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Texas Rangers starting pitcher Glenn Otto throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe, right, follows through after hitting an RBI-single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Los Angeles Angels' Brandon Marsh (16) puts a cowboy hat onto Shohei Ohtani while celebrating Ohtani's three-run home run during the third inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani watches his three-run home run during the third inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien, right, celebrates his three-run home run with Jonah Heim during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien is congratulated for his three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — With Mike Trout sidelined by back issues, the Los Angeles Angels have received a jolt of offense from an unlikely source.

Luis Rengifo hit a go-ahead, two-run double as the Angels rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 9-7 on Saturday night.

Rengifo has a hit in 27 of his last 30 games and is batting .351 during that span. His .337 average in July is 13th in the American League among players with 60 or more plate appearances.

“I feel comfortable. It’s more like go out there, do my job and stay focused every single time when I take my at-bats and help my team,” said Rengifo, who began the season at Triple-A Salt Lake before being called up on May 8. “It’s getting more experience, which helps with making adjustments and seeing results.”

Rengifo also had two stolen bases and made a couple of good defensive plays to help Los Angeles bounce back after it dropped the first two games of the series.

Shohei Ohtani hit his 22nd home run in the third inning, a three-run shot, but the Angels trailed 7-4 going into the eighth. David Fletcher, who entered in the third after Phil Gosselin was beaned, lined a two-run double to the left-field wall with one out to bring Los Angeles within 7-6.

After pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki struck out, Ohtani was intentionally walked and Taylor Ward drew a walk from Brett Martin (0-7). Fletcher tied it at 7 when he scored on a wild pitch, and Rengifo followed with a line drive into the right-center gap to put the Angels on top.

“He chased one early and fell behind. Then grinds through it and got a pitch up and drives it in the gap,” interim manager Phil Nevin said. “That’s been a shot in the arm for us. His energy and work ethic, guys are feeding off that. Our offense has been a little better and he’s a big part of that.”

Max Stassi added two hits and an RBI for the Angels. Touki Toussaint (1-0), who came on for starter Chase Silseth in the fifth, got the win in his Halos debut after allowing two runs in four innings.

Raisel Iglesias gave up a one-out single to Marcus Semien and walked Jonah Heim before getting Nathaniel Lowe to ground out and retiring Adolis García on a long fly to center for his 16th save and first since June 29.

Semien and Meibrys Viloria homered for the Rangers.

Semien hit a three-run shot to center off Silseth (1-4) in the fourth to give Texas a 5-3 lead. Viloria had a two-run drive to center on a sinker by Toussaint that stayed up in the strike zone to make it 7-4.

“We just didn’t execute at the end. We had them kind of where we wanted and had it lined up,” manager Chris Woodward said. “We had seven on the board pretty early. I would have loved to add on in the middle innings, but it was a pretty good night offensively.”

Silseth, recalled from Double-A Rocket City for his third stint with the Angels this season, allowed five runs and five hits with five strikeouts. All four of his walks were converted into runs by the Angels.

Texas right-hander Glenn Otto went five innings and gave up four runs on four hits with five strikeouts. The rookie is 0-5 in his last seven starts and has not won since June 4.

OHTANI’S EARLY BLAST

The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI singles by Lowe and García before the Angels went ahead in the home half. Gosselin was beaned on a sinker from Otto, and Andrew Velazquez had a bunt single before Ohtani drove Otto’s 88 mph changeup into the elevated bleachers in center field.

The reigning AL MVP has gone deep three times since the All-Star break. His 22 homers are tied for eighth and his 62 RBIs are tied for sixth in the AL.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: SS Corey Seager (lower right leg contusion) was out of the lineup for the second straight day. Woodward said Seager can’t put much weight on the leg. … OF Leody Taveras got the night off. He is 10 for 35 in the first nine games of Texas’ 11-game road trip.

Angels: Nevin said Gosselin was “OK” after the game. … RHP Jimmy Herget (right shoulder impingement) could be activated as soon as Sunday. He threw two scoreless innings for Double-A Rocket City on Friday.

ROSTER MOVES

The Angels also called up Toussaint from Triple-A Salt Lake after right-handers José Marte and Elvis Peguero were optioned to Salt Lake.

UP NEXT

Rangers: RHP Dane Dunning (1-6, 4.38 ERA) is the only pitcher in the majors this season with at least seven quality starts and one or fewer wins.

Angels: LHP Reid Detmers (3-3, 3.84 ERA) faces Texas for the fourth time this year. He is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA (13 earned runs allowed over 13 innings) in the previous three outings.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Ohtani homers early, Angels rally late to beat Rangers 9-7