Trout exits after HBP; Angels top Rangers 8-3 to take three out of four in Arlington

A third-straight victory over the Texas Rangers was overshadowed Sunday afternoon for the Los Angeles Angels, when star player Mike Trout was forced to exit the game after being hit in the hand by a pitch in the fifth inning. 

Trout's Hall of Fame caliber career has been derailed by injury concerns in the past - especially after playing just 36 games in 2021 - so the incident in the fifth inning was enough to strike fear in Angels fans throughout California, but an injury report shortly after returning to the training room revealed that Trout would be considered on a day-to-day basis as he recovered. 

He could be seen jumping around home plate in pain, after turning into what appeared to be an offspeed pitch from Rangers reliever Spencer Patton. 

Fortunately, the X-rays were negative and Trout should return to play sooner than later, barring any setbacks. 

Even without Trout for the latter half of the game, the Angels struck for four crucial insurance runs to secure their 8-3 victory and their third-straight win, taking three of four from the Rangers in front of the fans at Globe Life Park in Arlington

Reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani's speed proved to be a big difference maker in this one, starting the game beating out an infield single to shortstop coming around to score a few batters later on a passed ball, giving the Halos the early 1-0 lead. 

Additionally, seven Angels players finished the matchup with one RBI, as they took advantage of a trio of Rangers errors.

The Rangers struck back in the bottom of the second when Willie Calhoun ripped a double to right field, scoring Charlie Culberson who had walked one batter earlier. 

As has been the case over the last three games, the Angels answered almost instantly, grabbing three runs off of Rangers starter Martin Perez (0-2, 6.75 ERA) in the form of a Mike Trout double that scored one, a Jack Mayfield single - on which Trout scored following an error - and a Matt Duffy single, putting the Angels up for good. 

Perez finished the contest going four innings, allowing five hits for four runs - three earned - with five strikeouts and three walks.

Angels starter Jose Suarez (0-1, 5.19 ERA) allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning when 2021 All-Star Adolis Garcia crushed a two-run homer 400 feet to left field. 

Suarez would finish the game going 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and three walks allowed.

He was replaced by Max Mayers, who, despite pitching just 0.2 innings, earned the win after relieving Suarez in the fifth. 

The Halos tacked two additional runs on in the top of the sixth on a pair of singles from Andrew Velazquez and Tyler Wade, and again in the top of the eighth on back-to-back fielder's choices from both Ohtani and Brandon Marsh, who replaced Trout after he was removed from the game. 

Following Mayers' brief appearance, the Angels got two shutout innings each from Jimmy Herget (5 K's, H) and Jaime Barria (2 K's). 

For the second time in three series, the Angels will face-off against the Houston Astros, in a battle between the top two teams in the AL West.

Michael Lorenzen (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will make his second start of the season for the Angels against Houston's Luis Garcia (0-0, 0.00 ERA). In their previous matchup, the Astros took two out of three in front of the Angel Stadium crowd.