Angels Pen Holds Lid as Offense Ignites Late

Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 4 Rangers 1

The Angels saw good C.J. Wilson for five innings and when the going got tough and the bases got loaded, Vinnie Pestano was a sight for sore eyes.  Pestano got Robinson Chirinos to ground out with the bases loaded to end the top of the sixth inning and snuff the only real Rangers threat all night.

It was the only batter Pestano would face but it preserved a one-run deficit and the Halo bats took over from there.

Albert Pujols tied the game with a bases-loaded single to score Grant Green. Texas CF Leonys Martin made a perfect throw to gun down Kole Calhoun at home plate. Erick Aybar would also be thrown out at home on C.J. Cron's first career bases-loaded hit in the bigs, but not before Pujols and Mike Trout scored ahead of him to make it a 3-1 game. Despite making the first and last out at home plate, the Angels would take this one. They tacked on another run in the seventh with a bases loaded walk to Pujols. Thanks to the Texas bullpen for being the opposite of the Halo pen.

Jose Alvarez and Mike Morin pitched the seventh, Fernando Salas tossed a scoreless eighth and Huston Street closed the door in the ninth. Pestano gets the win, Wilson looked not terrible, Green had two hits in his return to the bigs and Calhoun had three hits.

The big picture sees the Angels winning three games in a row for the first time this season and puts the team at .500 at 9-9 for the first time since before play began on April 6. Light up the Halo and get the broom ready for tomorrow.