Yoán Moncada came off the bench with a clutch two-run single during a decisive four-run sixth inning, helping the Los Angeles Angels rally past the Texas Rangers 8-5 on Tuesday night.
The Rangers had just taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth, aided by an RBI single from Ezequiel Duran and an Angels error. However, in the bottom half, Texas reliever Jon Gray (1-1) issued two key walks that set up Los Angeles’ comeback.
Gustavo Campero tied the game with a shallow double to left-center that center fielder Sam Haggerty couldn’t corral on a sliding attempt. With two outs, Moncada delivered a sharp single to right, driving in two to give the Angels a 6-4 lead. Zach Neto followed with an RBI double, capping the rally.
Despite being outhit 14-6, the Angels made their opportunities count. Kyle Higashioka stood out for Texas, recording three hits, including solo home runs in the fourth and eighth innings — his sixth career multi-homer game. He also scored three times.
Tensions flared in the eighth inning when Rangers reliever Shawn Armstrong hit Zach Neto and Mike Trout with pitches. The incident led to both benches and bullpens emptying and a heated exchange between Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery and Rangers manager Bruce Bochy. No punches were thrown, and the situation was quickly diffused.
Reid Detmers (4-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to win, while Kenley Jansen locked down his 20th save of the season with a clean ninth inning. Jansen has now gone 17 straight outings without allowing an earned run — tied for the longest streak of his career and the current best in the American League.
Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi gave up four runs (three earned) on 10 hits across 5 1/3 innings. Texas starter Patrick Corbin allowed three runs (two earned) over five innings after a rough 30-pitch first.
Key Moment:
Adolis García made up for a dropped fly ball in the fourth that led to a run by leaping at the right-field wall to rob Nolan Schanuel of a two-run homer in the fifth, temporarily keeping the Rangers within one.
Key Stat:
Kenley Jansen’s 17-game streak without allowing an earned run is the longest active run in the AL and ties the best of his career.
Up Next:
The series concludes Wednesday night with Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (8-3, 3.50 ERA) facing Angels right-hander José Soriano (7-7, 3.79 ERA).
