The Rangers got to Angels ace Jared Weaver on Friday. And it wasn’t just because of newly-crowded cleanup hitter Michael Young and his .350 batting average.
Young received significant help from the guys ahead of him in the order, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler. The 2-3-4 spots in the order accounted for six of the seven hits and three of the four RBIs.
Andrus started the offense early with a home run just over the top of the wall on the first pitch he saw as the second hitter in the first inning. It marked Andrus’ second long ball of 2011 after failing to connect on one last season.
The Angels tied the game in the third on an Erick Aybar home run off Alexi Ogando, pretty much the only drawback for him having given up six. Ogando missed his start last Sunday because of ongoing blister issues but showed no residual effects Friday. He struck out five and walked one during the 99-pitch (62-strike) performance over 6 1/3 innings.
Starting in the fourth inning, the Rangers consistently added to the lead, scoring single runs in each of the next three innings. Kinsler, in the three hole since Tuesday as part of Ron Washington’s reconfigured lineup, lead off the frame with a double. Young and his .353 average after two hits Friday, quickly followed with a subsequent double to bring Kinsler home for a 2-1 lead. He really is fun to watch,
Mike Napoli began the fifth with a walk and was advanced to second on a successfully executed hit-and-run by Yorvit Torreabla. Andrus lined the ball to right field and Torreabla scored following one of three Julio Borbon strikeouts on the night. Borbon left the game in the eighth after an apparent hamstring strain during a catch. He will undergo an MRI tomorrow.
Adrian Beltre added a solo homer in the sixth to reach the final margin of victory, 4-1. Beltre has connected in consecutive games since Wednesday rainout was wiped from the books.
No mention of the bullpen is good news.
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