Sports

Briceno's Walk-Off HR Sends Angels Past Rangers 5-4 In 11

September 24, 2018 / 11:43 PM PDT / KCAL News

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jose Briceno delivered a pinch-hit homer leading off the 11th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their five-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

After Taylor Cole (3-2) retired the Rangers in the 11th, the Angels' rookie catcher walked off with his fifth career homer to center off Matt Moore (3-8).

Shohei Ohtani hit his 21st homer in the first inning and Michael Hermosillo added his first career homer as the Angels opened the final homestand of their fourth consecutive season out of the playoffs.

After Ronald Guzman doubled with two outs in the ninth, pinch-runner Delino DeShields scored the tying run on pinch-hitter Elvis Andrus' single to left for the Rangers. Guzman and Jurickson Profar homered for the Rangers, who opened their season-ending road trip with their sixth loss in eight games.

Mike Trout went 1 for 3 with two strikeouts, but drew his 116th and 117th walks of the season to set a franchise record, surpassing his mark in 2016.

After a 1-5 road trip that included four straight humiliating blowout losses, the Angels got a strong start from Felix Pena. The 28-year-old former Cubs reliever yielded five hits over seven innings and struck out six, continuing his improbable rise as a starter in the Angels' injury-plagued rotation by matching the longest appearance of his career.

Angels rookie Ty Buttrey was one out away from his fifth career save before Guzman and Andrus came through with back-to-back hits.

Adrian Sampson yielded five hits and four runs while pitching into the sixth for Texas.

Ohtani hit a 428-foot shot to right field in the first inning, interrupting a 3-for-22 slump with another superlative blast by the Angels' two-way sensation. He also hit into two double plays and struck out.

Two batters after Jefry Marte hit his first homer since Aug. 21 in the fourth inning, Hermosillo got his first career homer — and a big hug from Trout on his way back to the dugout — in his 28th game with the Angels. The 23-year-old outfield prospect made his big-league debut in May.

Rougned Odor singled in the sixth and scored when Profar's 19th homer barely cleared the wall in right.

Marte was hit by a pitch from Sampson leading off the sixth. He advanced on a balk and a groundout before scoring the go-ahead run on Connor Sadzeck's wild pitch.

SCIOSCIA'S FUTURE

Before the game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the team-owned radio station that he would like to manage again next year. Scioscia is finishing his 19th season in the Angels' dugout, and his contract expires this year. He has been widely expected to step down when the season concludes, but Scioscia sounded open to returning or to managing elsewhere in the majors.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Andrelton Simmons wasn't in the starting lineup due to a sore knee, but he worked out on the field. The star shortstop landed awkwardly while fielding Sunday in Houston. ... LF Justin Upton got a rest day.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Yovani Gallardo (8-6, 6.59 ERA) is 1-5 in his last seven starts, and he has a 6.91 ERA since the beginning of August.

Angels: Matt Shoemaker (2-2, 5.48 ERA) makes the sixth start of his injury-plagued season after getting chased in the third inning of last appearance in Oakland.