Angels Win is All Bees & Howie

Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 5, Rangers 3

With Mike Trout and Albert Pujols looking like minor league hacks it was the minor leaguers themselves who helped the Angels defeat the Rangers at home in Anaheim.

C.J. Cron had three hits in his major league debut, Grant Green had two hits and made an amazing catch in LF late in the game in his first major league start in the outfield and Luis Jimenez, subbing for the injured David Freese contributed a sacrifice as three guys who started together earlier this week for the Salt Lake Bees contributed greatly to the Halo victory over the Texas Ragbags.

But the biggest night on Minor League Saturday was reserved for the position player with the longest service time on the team, Howie Kendrick. Howie had a four-hit night, driving in a late insurance run and scoring two in the game. Collin Cowgill had a three hit night and also scored two runs.

Amidst all this chaos, though, the Angels combined to strand 22 runners on base. Erick Aybar is falling back to earth with the bat as he stranded six baserunners and Pujols grounded out with the bases loaded to end an inning ended up leaving 4 men on in the game.

Garrett Richards pitched a Quality Start of six innings and three runs but it was not his greatest game and despite nine strikeouts there was no sense of domination going on. But the bullpen trio of Fernando Salas, Ernesto Frieri and Joe Smith threw three scoreless innings to put the Arlington Blunderboys right where the belong: Loserville.