SB Nation Los Angeles - Rangers Slip Past Angels, 3-2, In Texashttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2010-09-30T22:19:59-07:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14868282010-09-30T22:19:59-07:002010-09-30T22:19:59-07:00Rangers Slip Past Angels, 3-2, In Texas
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<p>Arlington, TX (<a href="http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/scores/final/recap.aspx?id=27843" target="_blank">Sports Network</a>) - <span>Vladimir Guerrero</span> singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Texas to a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles in the first of a four-game set to conclude the regular season.</p>
<p>Guerrero drove in a pair of runs and Nelson Cruz went 3-for-4 and scored twice, including the decisive run, for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>, who have won two in a row and five out of seven to take an 11-game lead in the AL West for the first time in franchise history.</p>
<p>Darren O'Day (6-2) gave up the tying run in the top of the eighth but picked up the win and <span>Neftali Feliz</span> locked down his 39th save with a scoreless ninth.</p>
<p>Rookie hurler <span>Jordan Walden</span> (0-1), who grew up in the Dallas area, took the loss in his lone inning of work for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>, who had sandwiched a four-game slide with three-game win streaks entering the series.</p>
<p>Rangers starter <span>Cliff Lee</span> yielded a lone unearned run on four hits without a walk while striking out eight over seven frames and turned over a 2-1 lead to Darren O'Day in the eighth.</p>
<p>"There's no added pressure, no extra pressure," Lee said regarding the upcoming postseason. "I just want to go out there and do what I do. If everything's where I need it to be and I'm right mechanically and able to make pitches, then I expect to have success."</p>
<p><span>Peter Bourjos</span> belted a two-out, solo home run to left that knotted the score.</p>
<p>The Rangers responded in their half to produce the winning run.</p>
<p>Cruz doubled to rightfield with one out and was halfway to third before deciding to go back to second base. He then stole third and came in to score on Guerrero's single to left.</p>
<p><span>Julio Borbon</span> singled with one out in the third, advanced to third on an <span>Elvis Andrus</span> base hit and scored the game's first run on a <span>Michael Young</span> sacrifice fly.</p>
<p>Cruz doubled and scored on a Guerrero two-base hit in the fourth to make it a 2-0 game. The Rangers went on to load the bases with one out but couldn't add to their lead after <span>Mitch Moreland</span> grounded into an inning-ending double play.</p>
<p><span>Bobby Abreu</span>'s sacrifice fly in the sixth got the Angels on the board.</p>
<p>"You always want to finish respectable," Angels outfielder <span>Torii Hunter</span> said. "Everybody wants to finish strong, no matter who it is."</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>The Rangers are 50-28 at home...They lead the season series, 9-7...Nine of the 16 games have been decided by one run and 25 of the last 34 between the two teams have been decided by three runs or less...The Rangers are 6-9 in his 15 starts since he joined the team in the mega-trade with Seattle...Lee is slated to open the ALDS on Wednesday against either the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a> or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a>...Borbon has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games after going 1- for-3...Rangers outfielder <span>Josh Hamilton</span> is expected to return to the lineup Friday night for the first time since September 4. Angels starter <span>Scott Kazmir</span> gave up two runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings...Angels second baseman <span>Howie Kendrick</span> went 0-for-4 and lost a seven- game hitting streak.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2010/9/30/1723935/texas-rangers-los-angeles-angels-anaheim-score-thursdayBen Golliver2010-09-30T15:43:40-07:002010-09-30T15:43:40-07:00Tonight's Angels-Rangers Lineups
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<p>Here are tonight’s lineups:</p>
<p><strong><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a></strong><br>
Bourjos CF<br>
Kendrick 2B<br>
Abreu LF<br>
Hunter RF<br>
Napoli 1B<br>
Matsui DH<br>
Callaspo 3B<br>
Mathis C<br>
Wood SS<br>
Kazmir P</p>
<p><strong><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a></strong><br>
Andrus SS<br>
Young 2B<br>
Cruz LF<br>
Guerrero DH<br>
Kinsler 2B<br>
Francoeur RF<br>
Molina C<br>
Moreland 1B<br>
Borbon CF<br>
Lee P</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2010/9/30/1723376/angels-rangers-lineupsEric Stephen2010-09-30T11:11:16-07:002010-09-30T11:11:16-07:00Angels Close Out The Year With Series In Texas
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<p>(Sports Network) - The <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Texas Rangers</a> will tune up for the playoffs against a familiar opponent, as they start a season-ending four-game series tonight with the AL West-rival LA <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> of Anaheim at the Ballpark in Arlington.</p>
<p>Texas already claimed its first AL West title since 1999, something the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> had pulled off in three straight and five of the last six years.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rangers</a> have won four of six games and were able to salvage the finale of a three-game set versus Seattle with Wednesday's 6-5 victory. They recorded the win in the bottom of the ninth in an odd way, as <a href="../../mlb/players/70465/mitch-moreland" class="sbn-auto-link">Mitch Moreland</a> crossed the plate when <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mariners</a> catcher <a href="../../mlb/players/19410/guillermo-quiroz" class="sbn-auto-link">Guillermo Quiroz</a> misfired to first base on a dropped third strike to pinch-hitter Nelson Cruz.</p>
<p>"I've never seen that before," said Texas second baseman <a href="../../mlb/players/135/ian-kinsler" class="sbn-auto-link">Ian Kinsler</a>. "Maybe in Little League -- but you get a dropped third strike in Little League, you can't run. It was pretty interesting. It's good to be on top and get that win, though."</p>
<p><a href="../../mlb/players/95/michael-young" class="sbn-auto-link">Michael Young</a> and <a href="../../mlb/players/31382/julio-borbon" class="sbn-auto-link">Julio Borbon</a> both had two hits and an RBI, while <a href="../../mlb/players/960/jeff-francoeur" class="sbn-auto-link">Jeff Francoeur</a> ended 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. <a href="../../mlb/players/831/bengie-molina" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengie Molina</a> also collected two hits for Texas. <span>Rich Harden</span> made the start for the Rangers and was reached for four runs and six hits in four innings. <a href="../../mlb/players/69218/neftali-feliz" class="sbn-auto-link">Neftali Feliz</a> picked up the win with a scoreless top of the ninth inning.</p>
<p><a href="../../mlb/players/4/cliff-lee" class="sbn-auto-link">Cliff Lee</a> hopes to get a few scoreless innings on the mound when he makes his 15th start for Texas tonight. Lee dropped a 5-0 decision last Thursday at Oakland, as he allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He is 4-6 with a 4.25 ERA with the Rangers after going 8-3 in 13 appearances with Seattle.</p>
<p>The left-hander lost to the Angels back on August 1 at the Big A and is 7-4 in 11 career starts against them to go along with a 3.21 ERA.</p>
<p>After losing four in a row, the disappointing Angels swept the Oakland A's in three games and are aiming to keep the ball rolling for next season.</p>
<p>In Wednesday's 2-1 win in 11 innings, <a href="../../mlb/players/650/torii-hunter" class="sbn-auto-link">Torii Hunter</a> scored <a href="../../mlb/players/718/jeff-mathis" class="sbn-auto-link">Jeff Mathis</a>, who singled with one out, with a base hit to left-center field. <a href="../../mlb/players/709/howie-kendrick" class="sbn-auto-link">Howie Kendrick</a> ended with three hits and an RBI for the Halos, who received seven innings of one-run ball out of starter <a href="../../mlb/players/185/joel-pineiro" class="sbn-auto-link">Joel Pineiro</a> in the no-decision.</p>
<p>"I was DHing today, so I was getting bored on the bench," Hunter said of his game-winning hit. "We were just trying to get the game over. I was looking for anything up and tried to make contact, and it happened."</p>
<p><a href="../../mlb/players/104557/bobby-cassevah" class="sbn-auto-link">Bobby Cassevah</a> was credited with the win for throwing two shutout innings of relief.</p>
<p>Getting the nod for the Angels tonight will be <a href="../../mlb/players/662/scott-kazmir" class="sbn-auto-link">Scott Kazmir</a>, who's a putrid 2-10 with a 7.00 earned run average in his last 14 starts. He lasted just three innings in last Saturday's 6-2 loss to the <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">White Sox</a> and was reached for five runs and five hits.</p>
<p>Kazmir, a left-hander, is 9-15 with a 6.03 ERA in 27 starts this season and lost to Texas back on June 30. He has fared well in his career against the Rangers, going 6-3 in 12 starts with a 2.84 earned run average.</p>
<p>The Rangers have won eight of 15 matchups with Anaheim this season, including a 5-1 ledger in the Lone Star State.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/30/2321851/angels-close-out-the-year-with-series-in-texasEric Stephen