Heading into a 13-game homestand, it appeared the Los Angeles Angels would be sellers at Thursday’s trade deadline, with veteran closer Kenley Jansen drawing significant interest.
But after splitting four games with the Seattle Mariners and taking the first two of three against the Texas Rangers, those plans appear to be on hold, and Jansen is a major reason why.
The Angels and Rangers will meet again Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
On Tuesday, Jansen became the first Angels closer since Huston Street in 2016 to record a save in three consecutive games, after he pitched a scoreless ninth in an 8-5 win.
It was the 20th save of the season for Jansen and the 467th of his career. The Angels moved within four games of the Mariners for the final wild-card spot in the American League, thanks to their first three-game winning streak since June 23-25.
“This is huge. We need this,” Jansen said after Tuesday’s game. “I know we’re fighting for a wild-card spot. We need to come back and keep playing like this. There’s plenty of games left, and I believe in this team, and I think we can make it.”
The Angels will send out Jose Soriano (7-7, 3.79 ERA) to try to complete the series sweep on Wednesday. Texas will counter with fellow right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (8-3, 1.50), who is seeking his 100th career victory.
Eovaldi is 6-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 15 career appearances (13 starts) against Los Angeles, including a 13-1 win on July 8 in Anaheim that saw him allow one unearned run on five hits over six innings while striking out six.
Eovaldi is 4-0 with an 0.38 ERA in four starts in July. He has allowed just one earned run and 15 hits over 23 2/3 innings while striking out 26.
Soriano is 1-2 with a 4.19 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against Texas. He is 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA in two starts this season against the Rangers, giving up eight runs on 13 hits and seven walks in 9 2/3 innings.
Yoan Moncada hit a two-run, pinch-hit single to highlight a four-run sixth inning Tuesday to fuel the 30th comeback win of the season for Los Angeles. Jo Adell went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. Zach Neto doubled, was hit by a pitch twice, stole two bases, scored a run and also had an RBI for the Angels.
Texas pitchers walked seven batters and also hit four. Neto and Mike Trout were hit on back-to-back at-bats by reliever Shawn Armstrong in the eighth. That resulted in Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery gesturing and yelling at the Rangers’ dugout as he walked along the first base line while checking on Trout’s left hand. Both benches then emptied but were quickly separated.
“The only thing I said was, ‘How many times are you going to hit a guy?'” Montgomery said. “I wasn’t insinuating that they were doing it intentionally by any means.”
Catcher Kyle Higashioka, playing his first game in a week due to a hamstring strain, went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Rangers, who stand one game behind the Mariners in the race for the AL’s final wild-card spot.
“Terrific game by him,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “We did do some good things offensively. (But) pitching, hitting batters and walks just caught up with us.”
Texas fell to 22-32 on the road, the worst road mark in the American League West.
–Field Level Media
