Gomez's cycle, Darvish's pitching lead Rangers to 6-3 win (Apr 29, 2017)

By AP
Published

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Carlos Gomez's seventh-inning home run gave him his second career cycle and Yu Darvish allowed two runs in six innings while throwing 125 pitches as the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 on Saturday night.

Rougned Odor hit a two-out, two-run homer in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie.

Gomez needed only four at-bats for his first cycle since May 7, 2008, with the Minnesota Twins. He doubled in the first inning, singled in the third and tripled in the fifth off starter Jesse Chavez (2-4). He hit a first-pitch fastball from Jose Valdez onto the hill behind center field in the seventh for a two-run homer.

Darvish (3-2) allowed one earned run, three hits and four walks while striking out 10. He fell five pitches short of his major league high, thrown as a rookie in 2013.

Darvish didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, when he gave up an opposite field single to Kole Calhoun, an RBI double to Mike Trout and a sacrifice fly to Albert Pujols. Darvish walked the bases loaded with one out in the sixth inning but didn't allow a run.

Chavez gave up four runs, eight hits and two walks in six innings.

Darvish pitched up and in to Pujols in the first inning with a curveball and in the fourth with a fastball. Pujols glared and pointed into the Texas dugout after the inside fastball. In Pujols' final at-bat against Darvish, he struck out in the sixth.

Play was halted briefly in the second inning when a bad-hop single by Shin-Soo Choo struck Angels second baseman Danny Espinosa in the forehead. Espinosa stayed in the game.

SHORT HOPS

Pujols' RBI ties him with Ted Williams and Al Simmons for 12th place on the career list with 1,839. . Trout has a 13-game hitting streak ... Delino DeShields started against a right-hander for the first time this season and went 0 for 3 with a walk.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: 1B C.J. Cron (left foot contusion) and LHP Tyler Skaggs (right oblique strain) were placed on the 10-day DL on Saturday. RHP Daniel Wright was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake, and Valdez was selected to the major league roster. To make room for Valdez, LHP Greg Mahle was designated for assignment.

Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin (gout in left ankle) is scheduled to pitch again Wednesday, but manager Jeff Banister hasn't decided if Griffin will return to the rotation then or make another rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock.

UP NEXT

Angels: JC Ramirez (2-2) is 0-2 with a 4.16 ERA since moving into the rotation two weeks ago.

Rangers: Martin Perez (1-3) hasn't pitched beyond six innings in any of his five starts and hasn't won since April 9.