Alejandro Osuna broke open a tie game with a three-run home run in the eighth inning as the Texas Rangers scored five times late to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 on Tuesday night.
Osuna’s first home run of the season highlighted a six-hit eighth inning that erased a close contest and lifted Texas to within a half-game of first-place Seattle in the American League West. The Angels, meanwhile, matched their longest losing streak of the season by dropping their seventh consecutive game.
Texas overcame an early deficit despite losing starter Jacob deGrom after five innings because of discomfort in his left hip and leg. The Rangers’ bullpen kept the game within reach before the offense erupted over the final two innings.
Angels Strike First
Los Angeles jumped on deGrom early for a pair of runs in the opening inning.
After two outs, Jorge Soler lined a run-scoring double that one-hopped the wall in left field. A wild pitch helped create another scoring opportunity before Josh Lowe followed with an RBI single to shallow left, giving the Angels a 2-0 advantage.
Despite the rocky start, deGrom quickly regained control.
The veteran right-hander did not allow another run during his outing, finishing with five innings of work while giving up five hits and two walks. He threw 80 pitches before leaving the game because the tightness in his left hip and leg prevented him from throwing his changeup effectively. DeGrom later indicated he expects to make his next scheduled start.
Rangers Answer In The Second
Texas erased the early deficit in the bottom of the second inning.
José Soriano issued two walks to begin the rally before Nicky Lopez delivered a two-out single to left field that drove in both runners and tied the game at 2-2.
Soriano settled down after the second inning. Although he entered the game leading the American League with 51 walks, he did not issue another free pass the rest of the night.
The right-hander completed six innings while allowing only two hits after the second and kept the Rangers from taking the lead through the middle innings.
Seventh-Inning Exchange
The Angels briefly regained control in the seventh.
Rookie Wade Meckler lined an RBI single off reliever Chris Martin to score the go-ahead run, giving Los Angeles a 3-2 lead and putting the visitors six outs away from ending their losing streak.
Texas responded immediately.
Pinch-hitter Justin Foscue led off the bottom of the inning by launching a game-tying home run against Tayler Saucedo. The blast, Foscue’s second key contribution of the night, shifted momentum back to the Rangers heading into the final innings.
Rangers Break It Open
Texas put the game away with a dominant eighth inning.
Ezequiel Duran opened the rally with an RBI single before Foscue added another run-scoring hit against Angels reliever Sam Bachman.
Osuna then stepped to the plate with two runners aboard and drove his first home run of the season over the fence for a three-run shot, capping a five-run inning that turned a tie game into an 8-3 Rangers lead.
The Rangers collected six hits during the inning and capitalized on nearly every scoring opportunity to put the game out of reach.
Peyton Gray pitched a scoreless eighth inning to earn the victory, improving to 4-0 on the season, while the Rangers bullpen protected the comfortable lead over the final innings.
Soriano’s Strong Start Overshadowed
Soriano delivered another solid outing that ultimately went unrewarded.
After the early walks that led to Texas’ second-inning runs, he found his rhythm and retired hitters efficiently over the remainder of his six innings. He limited the Rangers to just two hits after the second while keeping the game tied long enough for the Angels to briefly reclaim the lead.
However, the bullpen could not preserve that advantage.
Bachman took the loss after allowing the decisive rally in the eighth as the Angels’ recent struggles continued.
The defeat dropped Los Angeles into another prolonged skid, matching its longest losing streak of the year despite receiving another quality effort from its starting rotation.
For Texas, the comeback victory strengthened its position in the American League West race and demonstrated the lineup’s ability to produce late offense against a division rival.
Up Next
The series continues Wednesday with Angels rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña, who is 5-7 with a 3.03 ERA, scheduled to face Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who enters with a 5-7 record and a 4.31 ERA.
