OC Register: Grieving Angels return to action with emotional victory over Rangers

[AngelsWin.com]

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  Team personnel assist the Angels’ Tommy La Stella off the field after he fouled a ball off his right leg while at bat during the top of the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Trevor Cahill (53) reaches down to touch the number 45 on the back of the mound as he prepares to work against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. The number honors Tyler Skaggs who passed away on Monday in Southlake, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Some members of the Los Angeles Angels hold the jersey of Tyler Skaggs as they observe a moment of silence before a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 02: Justin Bour #41 of the Los Angeles Angels hangs the jersey of Tyler Skaggs #45 of the Los Angeles Angels in the dugout before taking on the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 02, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus sits on the bench in front of the jersey of Tyler Skaggs during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 02: A view of a Los Angeles Angels jersey with a patch to honor Tyler Skaggs #45 of the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 02, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Suarez kneels behind the mound before working against the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  The number 45 is displayed on the scoreboard during the first inning of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. The number honors Tyler Skaggs. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Suarez adjust his cap that has a written message on it referring to teammate Tyler Skaggs during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Suarez adjust his cap that has a written message on it referring to teammate Tyler Skaggs during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Suarez (54) works against the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Texas Rangers’ Elvis Andrus (1) tips his helmet to the Los Angeles Angels dugout before walking up to the plate for an at-bat in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Texas Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor (23) throws to the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) wears a black patch with the number 45 on it as he takes an at-bat against the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  A black patch with the number 45 on it sits above the team logo as Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout walks through the dugout in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. The entire team and staff wore the same patch honoring Tyler Skaggs. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Texas Rangers’ Elvis Andrus (1) talks with Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy, right, before an at-bat in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is unable to reach a double by Texas Rangers’ Nomar Mazara in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  Texas Rangers’ Joey Gallo steals second ahead of the attempted tag by Los Angeles Angels second baseman Tommy La Stella (9) in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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  ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 02: Team personnel assist Tommy La Stella #9 of the Los Angeles Angels after he was injured while at bat against the Texas Rangers in the top of the sixth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 02, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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  ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 02: Luis Rengifo #4 of the Los Angeles Angels bobbles a ball hit by Elvis Andrus #1 of the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 02, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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  Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, and other members of the team observe a moment of silence to honor teammate Tyler Skaggs before Tuesday’s game against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas. The 27-year-old Skaggs died on Monday. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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ARLINGTON, Texas — With Tyler Skaggs’ jersey hanging in their dugout, the Angels attempted to regain some semblance of normalcy by playing a baseball game on Tuesday night.

Returning to action just a day after Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room, the Angels were able to put aside their grief long enough to piece together a 9-4 victory over the Texas Rangers.

After it was over, the normal postgame handshake line was supplemented with plenty of firm embraces.

Even in the win, the Angels were dealt a little more adversity, although the more mundane variety.

Tommy La Stella, the Angels’ improbable All-Star, fouled a ball off his right shin and had to be helped off the field in the fifth inning. He was diagnosed with a contusion, and he will undergo a CT scan on Wednesday. Brian Goodwin also suffered a wrist contusion after being hit by a pitch. He also came out of the game and will undergo a CT scan on Tuesday.

Kole Calhoun was responsible for the game’s most poignant moment, as he pointed to the sky after touching the plate following his eighth-inning two-run homer.

Before the game, Manager Brad Ausmus had said playing could be a refuge from reality for a few hours, although there were still reminders of Skaggs throughout.

His No. 45 jersey hung in the dugout. It had been carried on to the field during a pregame moment of silence by Andrew Heaney, one of Skaggs’ closest friends on the team, and Cam Bedrosian.

Many Angels players had their own ways of remembering Skaggs, with his number or initials inscribed on their cap or equipment.

Rangers players asked the Globe Life Park entertainment staff to dispense with the walk-up songs for the night, so left-hander Mike Minor warmed up in relative silence to throw the game’s first pitch.

When Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus came to the plate for the first time, he stopped and tipped his helmet toward the Angels dugout. He then tapped the No. 45 on catcher Jonathan Lucroy’s chest protector.

The Rangers grounds crew pained a red No. 45 on the back of the pitcher’s mound.

The Angels sent rookie José Suarez to that mound to face Minor, who has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this year.

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The game began sloppily, with two Angels misplays leading to a Rangers run in the first. The Rangers then took a 3-1 lead in third as Suarez continued to wobble.

But the Angels had been grinding out at-bats all night. They drew four of their 11 walks against Minor, knocking him out with 110 pitches in the fifth.

Lucroy then lined a two-out, two-run single into right field, tying the score at 3-3.

In the sixth, the Angels scored four runs, one on a hit by Upton and two more on a single by Justin Bour, who inherited a 3-and-2 count after La Stella had to come out of the game.

Calhoun padded the lead in the eighth with his homer, belting a ball through the wind and over the right-center field fence. Calhoun paused as he stepped on the plate and looked upward, having given the team a five-run lead as they neared the first victory what could be a challenging final three months.

More to come on this story.

A moment of silence for No. 45. pic.twitter.com/nQ5BrKMY2R

— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2019

pic.twitter.com/yMdYG26mta

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 3, 2019

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