ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brandon Drury had three hits, including a home run, Reid Detmers threw seven solid innings for only his second win since the All-Star break and the Los Angeles Angels rolled to a 9-3 victory over Texas on Tuesday night preventing the Rangers from getting another step closer to wrapping up their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Eduardo Escobar and Michael Stefanic both drove in a pair of runs for the Angels, who won for just the seventh time in 24 games in September.
Texas, which came into the game with a 2 1/2 game lead over Houston in the AL West, had its six-game winning streak snapped. AL batting leader Corey Seager went 1 for 2 but left the game in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch in the right forearm an inning earlier.
Seager is batting .332 and has a four point lead over Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz.
Josh H. Smith, who replaced Seager, hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning.
Detmers (4-10) allowed only one run on four hits in seven innings and struck out seven. Two of Detmers’ wins have come against the Rangers.
Drury gave the Angels a 3-1 lead in the first inning when he connected on a low fastball from Cody Bradford (4-3) and hit it down the left-field line. It was his 24th homer of the season and fifth this month.
Marcus Semien lined a double off the left-field wall on the first pitch, advanced to third on Seager’s base hit and scored when Robbie Grossman grounded into a double play.
Logan O’Hoppe extended the lead to 4-1 when he led off the fourth with a double, advanced to third on Jo Adell’s single and came home on Escobar’s ground out.
The Angels broke it open with five in the fifth. David Fletcher started the rally with a base hit to left followed by a double by Randal Grichuk that was originally ruled a home run.
Fletcher scored on Neto’s sacrifice fly and Grichuk came home on a wild pitch by Chris Stratton. The Angels had the bases loaded with one out when Drury scored on another Escobar ground out. Stefanic followed with a two-run single to right that just got by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who tried to make a diving stop.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Jon Gray had imaging tests done on his wrist, but manager Bruce Bochy said they were still awaiting the results. Gray left Monday’s game in the seventh inning.
Angels: 1B Nolan Schanuel (left knee bruise) was out of the lineup. … LHP Patrick Sandoval (right oblique strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list, ending his season.
UP NEXT
Rangers RHP Dane Dunning (11-6, 3.88 ERA) faces Angels RHP Griffin Canning (7-7, 4.39 ERA) in the series finale.
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