Texas came back from being down 3-0 early, led by Vladimir Guererro (above) who hit two home runs (one of which with the bases-loaded) and knocked in five RBI against his old team. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)Anybody else think the Los Angeles Angels (44-36) may want a do-over in it's decision to let Vladimir Guerrero go after a sub-par 2009 season?
Guerrero's new team, the Texas Rangers (47-30), were happy to capitalize off of the Angels mistake. The Rangers acquisition, who has paid dividends all-season long, made his former team pay as he literally won the game on his own - knocking in five runs to the Angels' four.
"He's as dangerous as any hitter in the game right now," Angels' manager Mike Scioscia said.
"He's obviously at a level we haven't seen a couple of years, but it just goes back to his health and how he's feeling... You make a mistake on Vlad and you're going to pay a price."
Texas needed every one of Guerrero's five RBI as rookie pitcher Omar Beltre (ND) got off to a shaky start. Beltre allowed a leadoff homer to Erick Aybar and a two-run single to Reggie Willits, which gave the Angels a 3-0 lead in the second inning. He finished his first start in the big-leagues after only four innings, but did have six strikeouts. Beltre allowed three runs on five hits for the game, but you take the good with the bad in this situation as the 28-year old right-hander was called upon to pitch in the biggest series so far the season.
"I was a little nervous, but I'm just glad we won the game," Beltre said through a translator. "After the first inning, I was feeling like it was coming together, and I was able to make a couple of good pitches. I can't make that many mistakes."
Beltre actually outpitched L.A. starter Scott Kazmir (L, 7-7) who went only 4 1-3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits to a sizzling Rangers' offense. Kazmir had allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his previous five outings.
"We tried to work both sides of the plate, but anything you left right down the middle or anywhere in the zone, [Guerrero] was going to hit it hard," Kazmir said. "That was one of the things we couldn't control too much."
Guerrero went 4 for 4 for the game and now has six hits, three home runs, and eight RBI for the first two games of the series.
The rubber match between these two teams is Thursday night with a 9:10 p.m. scheduled start time. C.J. Wilson (6-3, 3.35 ERA) will take the mound for Texas, while Jered Weaver (7-3, 3.01) gets the start for L.A. Both Wilson and Weaver are in the top-15 in the American League in ERA.
News and Notes:
- With a ground-ruled double in the eighth inning, Josh Hamilton pushed his career-long hitting streak to 23 games.
- Texas has a pretty good offense, to say the least. The Rangers are top-5 in baseball in both batting average (.283) and RBI (390) and 10th in the Majors in home runs (79).
- Texas has traded Chris Ray and a player to be named later to the San Francisco Giants for catcher Bengie Molina.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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