Rangers keep playoff hopes alive with 7-4 win over groggy Angels

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Angels appeared to snooze past their wake-up calls Saturday, committing five errors—one shy of their franchise record for a game—in the first five innings of a 7-4 loss to Texas that kept the Rangers alive in the American League wild-card race.

The game was moved from 7 p.m. CDT to 11 a.m. because of the threat of heavy rains -- the bottom of the ninth inning, in fact, was played in a heavy downpour, so for the Angels, it felt like a 9 a.m. start, a difficult turnaround after Friday night’s game ended about 10:40 p.m.

The Rangers, who entered Saturday one game behind Tampa Bay and Cleveland for the final two playoff spots, took advantage of the groggy Angels, scoring their first three runs on errors by third baseman Andrew Romine, pitcher Garrett Richards and shortstop Erick Aybar.

Left fielder Collin Cowgill also bobbled A.J. Pierzynski’s run-scoring single during Texas’ two-run fifth inning.

Aybar doubled and scored in each of his first three at-bats, Mike Trout had a pair of sacrifice flies, and Howie Kendrick’s RBI double off starter Derek Holland pulled the Angels to within 5-4 in the top of the fifth.

But Alex Rios doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth for Texas, and RBI singles by Pierzynski and Craig Gentry pushed the lead to 7-4. Rangers relievers Joakim Soria, Robbie Ross, Tanner Scheppers and Joe Nathan combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

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