Angels do it again, Ducks start playoffs

By OC Tribune Staff on April 12, 2017 • ( Leave a comment )

THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS rallied in the ninth for the second straight night and went on to win it 6-5 in 10 innings over the Texas Rangers.

The Los Angeles Angels continued to show staying power in the young season with a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Texas Rangers Tuesday night in Anaheim. A squeeze bunt by Carlos Perez brought home the winning run as the Halos won their fourth straight game and improved their AL West-leading record to 6-2.

“You’ve got to keep playing baseball, and we kept playing baseball,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s not always going to work out. It did in big way on Sunday, and tonight it did against a club that’s got some good arms in the bullpen.”

Trailing 4-0 after three innings, the Angels pecked away with runs in the seventh and eighth innings and knotted it up with three in the bottom of the ninth to the delight of 34,000 fans at the Big A.

In the ninth, Danny Espinosa led off with a home run and one out later, Yunel Escobar doubled, and then scored on a double by Mike Trout. Albert Pujols drove in the tying run with a single.

In the 10th, Cameron Maybin walked, and then went to third on an Espinosa single. Perez aimed a safety bunt down the first base line and Maybin stormed home with the walkoff run.

Escobar and Espinosa each had three hits for the Angels and Trout had two. Tyler Skaggs had a rough outing, giving up five runs and eight hits in five innings. He walked two batters and struck out five. The win in relief went to Cam Bedroisian (1-0) who pitched the one-hit 10th.

The Angels will take on the Rangers (2-5) again on Wednesday with Jesse Chavez (1-0) making the start for the home team.

DUCKS START STANLEY CUP PLAY THURSDAY

The Anaheim Ducks will start their Stanley Cup playoffs schedule Thursday when they host the Calgary Flames at Honda Center. The second game will be on Friday, then the series will shift to Calgary for games on Monday (April 17) and Wednesday (April 19). If needed, the fifth game would be at Anaheim on Friday, April 21, with a sixth game in Calgary on Sunday, April 23. The seventh game would be back at Honda Center on Tuesday, April 25.