Angels beat Rangers 9-3 to give Ron Washington win in his 1st game as visiting manager in Texas
— Zach Neto and Taylor Ward homered, Tyler Anderson pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Rangers 9-3 on Friday night to give Ron Washington a victory in his first game as a visiting manager in Texas.
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Nootbaar, Winn hit 2-run homers, Cardinals drop Red Sox below .500 with 10-6 win
— Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn hit two-run homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Boston 10-6 on Friday night to drop the Red Sox below .500 for the first time since the season’s opening week.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- — Zach Neto and Taylor Ward homered, Tyler Anderson pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Rangers 9-3 on Friday night to give Ron Washington a victory in his first game as a visiting manager in Texas.
Neto snapped a 1-all tie and put the Angels ahead to stay with his two-run homer in the fourth, a 405-foot drive to right field for his fifth of the season. They have won consecutive games for the first time since a four-game winning streak the first week of the season.
Anderson (4-4) struck out four and walked two.
“It all starts with the pitching. (Anderson) went out there tonight and really controlled the strike zone and controlled some pretty good at-bats over there,” Washington said. “And the guys are starting to swing the bat. And I just hope that each night we don’t have to put up nine (runs), but at least give ourself an opportunity by swinging those bats.”
Washington is the winningest manager in Rangers' history with his 664 wins from 2007-14, and took them to their first two World Series in 2010 and 2011. He is in the first season with the Angels (17-28), his first managerial job since Texas.
Jonah Heim and Marcus Semien went deep for Texas, which lost for the seventh time in nine games and had a season-high three errors.
At 23-23, the reigning World Series champion Rangers have a .500 record for the eighth time this year. They won each of the last seven times to avoid a losing record, something they haven't had at any point since Bruce Bochy became their manager before last season.
Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-5), who pitched for the Angels from 2015-21, struck out five, walked two and allowed three runs (two earned) while throwing 83 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. That matched his shortest start of the season.
“Pitches caught up with him more than anything,. I didn’t want to push him too much here," Bochy said. "Had some bad luck. ... Stuff was pretty good, but just got away from it as the game went.”
Angels DH Willie Calhoun matched a career high with four hits, all singles. He drove in a run with his hit in the fifth, then scored on No. 9 batter Kyren Paris' two-run single. Ward's ninth homer was a solo shot in the sixth for a 7-1 lead.
“Willie Calhoun, when he was a youngster, he was a pretty good hitter. And for some reason along the way he lost his way," Washington said. “Hopefully we found the Willie Calhoun that everyone thought he would be.”
Calhoun made his major league debut with the Rangers from 2017-22, and played only his 13th game for the Angels after going to spring training on a minor league deal and getting called up earlier this month.
“A four-hit game just in general feels good, no matter who it's against,” Calhoun said. “But spent five years with that organization. I felt like I kind of grew up there. I went through a lot of ups and downs there."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 3B Luis Rengifo was back in the lineup after missing 10 games because of a viral infection. He doubled in his first at-bat, then had a walk and a stolen base in the third inning, before racing home from second base when Kevin Pillar got an infield single on checked swing and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe had an error on his throw to home.
Rangers: Right-handers Nathan Eovaldi (right groin strain) and Dane Dunning (right rotator cuff strain) both threw bullpen sessions. Dunning could return to the rotation as early as next week. Eovaldi is a bit further behind. ... Rookie OF Evan Carter, who had missed the previous five games with lower back stiffness, pinch-hit in the ninth.
UP NEXT
Right-hander José Ureña is 1-1 with a 2.31 in his first two spot starts for Texas. Lefty Patrick Sandoval (2-6, 5.00 ERA) pitches for the Angels on Saturday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Stars Forward Hintz Out For Game 6 Vs. Avalanche
CLEVELAND -- — José Ramírez homered with two outs in the eighth inning, sending the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-2 win on Friday night over the Minnesota Twins in a game featuring the first infield shift violation this season.
Ramírez connected for his 10th homer on a 2-1 pitch from Jhoan Duran (0-1), driving it into the seats in right field to delight a Progressive Field crowd that came out to see Cleveland's new uniforms and fireworks.
It was the 226th career homer for Ramírez, moving him into a tie for fourth in club history with Hall of Famer Earl Averill. Only Jim Thome (337), Albert Belle (242) and Manny Ramirez (236) have more.
“I am running out of adjectives to describe him,” Guardians first-year manager Stephen Vogt said of his All-Star third baseman. “You have to just kind of smile and laugh sometimes. Like, are you kidding me?
“I keep saying I can’t be shocked at this point, but it’s still just so fun to watch.”
The Twins lost their fourth straight and had several calls go against them, including Duran's first two pitches to Ramírez.
“It’s frustrating for our players when late in the game every meaningful call did go against us," said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “The guy who hit the home run (Ramírez), he’s hit a lot of big home runs, he’s a great player. But when the first two pitches in the at-bat are strikes and they both get called balls, that’s hard to swallow.”
Tim Herrin (2-0), who allowed the Twins to tie it in the eighth, got the win. Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his 13th save.
Guardians starter Triston McKenzie allowed just two hits — one a homer to Alex Kiriloff — in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander also got three double plays and a nice diving catch by center fielder Tyler Freeman to start the game.
David Fry belted a two-run homer for the Guardians in the sixth shortly after Twins shortstop Carlos Correa was ruled to be illegally out of position while fielding a grounder.
The Twins stumbled into Cleveland. They were swept at home in a three-game series earlier this week by the New York Yankees, who shut out them out in the final two games and outscored Minnesota 14-1.
Twins rookie Simeon Woods Richardson was pulled in the sixth following an unusual matchup against Ramírez, who appeared to ground out to Correa for the first out.
However, the Guardians felt Correa was to the left side of second base when the pitch was released. They challenged and the play was overturned by replay — after a long delay — with Ramírez returning to the batter's box before hitting a foul pop the Twins let drop.
Ramírez then pulled a pitch down the right-field line that just missed being a two-run homer by a few feet. He eventually struck out, but Andrés Giménez, who opened the inning with a single, stole second and went to third on a throwing error.
Okert came on and the Twins cut down Giménez at the plate on a fielder’s choice before the versatile Fry, who has played first, outfield, catcher and DH, connected on an 0-2 pitch for his fourth homer.
Baldelli felt the replay was inconclusive.
“Frustrating game,” he said. “You can lose close games, but to have that many things go against you, especially late in the game and losing by a run, that’s rough and the guys in there are pretty pissed off.”
Kiriloff's homer leading off the third ended Minnesota's scoreless streak at 28 consecutive innings, the fourth longest streak in club history (since 1961).
NEW JERSEYS
The Guardians debuted their new City Connect Series uniforms.
The blue tops are emblazoned with “CLE” across the front in art-deco style letters and numbers inspired by the nearby Guardians of Traffic pillars on the Hope Memorial Bridge outside Progressive Field.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: CF Byron Buxton is expected to be activated from the injury list for Saturday's game after being sidelined since May 3 with right knee inflammation. Buxton played back-to-back games this week at Triple-A St. Paul without any issues, clearing his return.
Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (elbow) threw another bullpen session as he continues to build up arm strength after being hurt in training camp. He threw 50 pitches Wednesday in his first session since receiving an anti-inflammatory injection.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.77 ERA) goes for his fifth win in six starts, matching up against Guardians LHP Logan Allen (4-2, 5.56).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
