Field Level Media
Aug 20, 2019
Mike Trout set a career high with his 42nd home run and the Los Angeles Angels won the first game of the doubleheader, 5-1, against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday afternoon at Arlington, Texas.
Los Angeles left-hander Andrew Heaney struck out a career-high 14 and didn't walk a batter while winning consecutive starts for the first time since winning five consecutive in 2015.
Heaney (3-3) allowed one run and four hits in eight innings.
Trout also tripled, Luis Rengifo added a two-run homer and Brian Goodwin contributed two hits and two runs for the Angels.
Willie Calhoun had two hits, including a solo homer, for the Rangers.
Rangers rookie left-hander Joe Palumbo (0-2) made his third major-league start and first since June 19 against the Cleveland Indians but departed in the second inning after developing a blister on his left thumb.
The first five batters reached base for the Angels, who scored three runs in the first inning.
David Fletcher led off with a single before Trout turned on an inside fastball and homered over the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead. It was Trout's 10th homer against Texas this season, matching Khris Davis of the Oakland A's for the most home runs in a season against the Rangers.
The Angels then loaded the bases with no outs. Palumbo struck out Rengifo, but Goodwin scored on a fielder's choice to make it 3-0.
Phillips Valdez replaced Palumbo and walked three of the first five batters he faced but settled in for a stretch before Goodwin reached on a bunt single to start the fifth. Three batters later, Rengifo came through with a two-out two-run homer on a 3-0 pitch to make it 5-0.
The Rangers, who rallied from a 7-1 deficit on Monday night to win 8-7 in 11 innings in the series opener, scored their run in the sixth on Calhoun's home run.
Before the game, the Rangers placed right fielder Nomar Mazara on the injured list with an oblique strain and recalled Nick Solak, who made his major-league debut as the designated hitter and went 1-for-3.
--Field Level Media