Recap: LA Angels vs. Texas
Sports Network | September 27, 2008
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Vicente Padilla hurled six solid innings and Hank Blalock homered in his fifth straight game as Texas routed the LA Angels of Anaheim, 12-1.
Despite the embarrassing loss, the Angels clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs thanks to Tampa Bay's 6-4 loss to Detroit on Friday. The Angels will now face the Red Sox in the American League Division Series, after Boston was forced to the AL wild card spot with a 19-8 loss to the Yankees on Friday. Los Angeles will host Boston on Wednesday and Friday of next week.
Padilla (14-8) allowed just one run on four hits while walking two and fanning eight for the Rangers, who have won three straight games. Josh Hamilton, Joaquin Arias, Michael Young and Marlon Byrd all drove in a pair of runs.
Vladimir Guerrero had an RBI single for the Angels, who lost for just the second time in nine games.
John Lackey (12-5) was peppered for 10 runs on 12 hits in just 2 2/3 innings en route to the loss.
"It was one of those nights," Lackey said. "They came out hacking. They beat me up a little bit tonight."
The Rangers jumped on top with a run in the first when Young got on with a one-out double and Hamilton followed with an RBI single.
The Angels answered with a run of their own in the home half when Chone Figgins walked, advanced to third on Garret Anderson's single and scored on Guerrero's one-out single.
Texas then exploded with seven runs in the second. Blalock led off the frame with a solo homer, his 12th of the year. Nelson Cruz, Gerald Laird and Chris Davis followed with three consecutive singles to put another run on the board. Arias then slapped an RBI double to center before Young laced a two-run, two- bagger to make it 6-1.
Things only got worse from there for LA. Hamilton was hit by a pitch and, after Bradley grounded out, Byrd slapped a two-run single up the middle.
The Rangers kept pouring it on with two more runs in the third. Davis singled to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on an Arias base hit before scoring when Young grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Hamilton then capped the frame by blasting his 32nd homer of the year over the wall in center.
A run-scoring single by Cruz and an RBI grounder by Arias in the fourth put Texas in front 12-1.
"Padilla did a great job and we didn't let Lackey get into a rhythm," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Tonight was our night."
Young scored two runs, raising his total to 101 and making him the first player in Rangers history to score 100 or more runs in four different seasons...The Junior Circuit has the home-field edge in the upcoming World Series by virtue of its win over the National League in the All-Star Game...The Angels are stuck on 99 wins, which ties a franchise record set by the 2002 squad that went on to capture the World Series...The Angels are 11-6 against Texas so far this season.
