Sports

Rangers Outpower Angels 15-8 In Preseason

March 25, 2015 / 5:58 AM CDT / CBS Texas

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SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) - Albert Pujols homered and Mike Trout hit an RBI triple, but the Texas Rangers tagged Los Angeles Angels closer Huston Street for six runs Tuesday in a 15-8 victory.

Trout, last year's AL MVP, leads the Cactus League with a .462 batting average after extending his hitting streak to nine games. An avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, he chatted with Eagles coach Chip Kelly in the clubhouse after leaving the game.

Pujols, a three-time NL MVP, led off the fourth with his third home run on a 2-2 pitch from Nick Tepesch. Pujols also drove in Trout with a first-inning sacrifice fly.

Trout and Pujols both appear to have their swings ready for the season.

"That's the idea," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's why we play these games. Albert's swinging the bat well and Trout is — two guys very important to us. A lot of guys we are counting on look like they're getting ready to be where they need to be."

Trout and Pujols did their damage against Tepesch.

"I've faced them a lot before the last couple of years," Tepesch said. "I don't really put any emphasis or stock into that. It's more that we're at that moment. It's just the guy at the plate. I'm not worried about who is behind him or who just hit."

Touted prospect Andrew Heaney, competing for the final spot in the Angels' rotation, gave up homers to Elvis Andrus and Adam Rosales in the fifth. Heaney could not make it out of that inning, and the left-hander's ERA is 8.36 in four starts.

"I think he pitched better than his linescore shows," Scioscia said.

Street took the loss, giving up five earned runs on four hits and a walk in 1 2-3 innings. He also committed two throwing errors.

Thomas Field hit a three-run homer in a 10-run seventh for Texas.

PRINCE OF A BUNT

Rangers slugger Prince Fielder beat the Angels' shift leading off the second with a bunt single down the third base line. Fielder, listed at 275 pounds, pointed into the Texas dugout as he ran to first. Fielder had a swinging infield single in the fifth.

STARTING TIME

Angels: Heaney was 19-11 with a 2.77 ERA in 49 games in the Marlins' farm system. "He's pitched really well in the minor leagues through his whole career," Scioscia said. "He's got to make that jump into the big leagues and bring that same command to the big leagues."

Rangers: Tepesch permitted three runs and four hits in five innings. "I felt like I had pretty good control all day," he said. "The one inning there where I gave up the two runs, I fell behind guys, but other than that most of the outing I was getting strike one, getting ahead of the guys. I thought it was a pretty good outing."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: OF Matt Joyce, who had been out with hamstring tightness before serving as the DH on Monday, was given Tuesday off. He will play left field Wednesday.

Rangers: RHP Ross Ohlendorf, who has not pitched since exiting a March 15 game after two innings with right groin tightness, threw a bullpen Monday with no issues and will pitch Thursday against the Rockies.

ROSTER MOVES

Rangers RHP Alex Gonzalez, a 2013 first-round draft pick out of Oral Roberts University, was assigned to minor league camp after posting a 3.95 ERA in four appearances. In other moves, Texas optioned INF Hanser Alberto to Triple-A Round Rock and assigned RHP Ross Wolf to minor league camp.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Nick Tropeano, competing with Heaney for a job in the rotation, starts Wednesday against the Indians.

Rangers: LHP Ross Detwiler will start Wednesday against the Reds, his first appearance since March 13 when a line drive bruised his right wrist.

MLB
Los Angeles Angels