OC Register: Kole Calhoun’s bases-loaded double lifts Angels over Rangers

[AngelsWin.com]

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  Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws to the plate during the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers at Angel Stadium. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor throws to the plate during the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the Angels at Angel Stadium. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 27: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels comes up to bat agaisnt the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun throws the ball to the infield while center fielder Mike Trout backs him up after the Rangers’ Delino DeShields hit a double during the third inning of Tuesday’s game at Angel Stadium. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  The Rangers’ Delino DeShields is congratulated after scoring the game’s first run during the third inning of Tuesday’s game against the Angels at Angel Stadium. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws to the plate during the second inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout makes a running catch of a fly ball from Texas Rangers’ Delino DeShields during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor throws to the plate during the second inning of Tuesday’s game against the Angels at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani singles against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  The Angels’ Kole Calhoun drives in the tying and go-ahead runs with a double during the seventh inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun leaves the batter’s box with a two-run double against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 27: Kole Calhoun #56 of the Los Angeles Angels hits a two-run double in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun celebrates after driving in two runs with a double against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 27: Brian Goodwin #18 of the Los Angeles Angels hits a two-run single in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Brian Goodwin drives in two runs with a single against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Brian Goodwin, left, claps after driving in two runs with a single against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 27: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels and Kole Calhoun #56 celebrate after being driven in by Brian Goodwin #18 in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols, right, is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on a single by Brian Goodwin during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Brian Goodwin, right, slides, but is tagged out by Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor as Goodwin tried to steal second base during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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ANAHEIM — Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun did not need to redeem himself so much as he needed to even the scoreboard.

Calhoun made a soft error early in Tuesday night’s game against the Texas Rangers. For six innings it loomed as the lone stain on an unblemished box score, leading to the Rangers’ only run against Andrew Heaney.

When Calhoun stepped to the plate against Mike Minor with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, he deserved relatively little blame for the Angels’ predicament. Calhoun more than atoned. He split the gap in right-center field with a double, giving the Angels the lead for good in an eventual 5-2 victory before an announced crowd of 39,008 at Angel Stadium.

The Angels scored twice more in the seventh inning and got Mike Trout’s major league-leading 43rd home run in the eighth. Hansel Robles recorded his 19th save in support of Miguel Del Pozo (1-0).

Del Pozo struck out the only batter he faced, Shin-Soo Choo, in the eighth inning. That was enough to earn his first major league win in his fifth appearance.

Heaney allowed four hits and walked three batters in six innings. He struck out 10. The Rangers scored their only run against him in the third inning.

Delino Deshields Jr. hit a low line drive to right field. Calhoun would have been challenged to hold the speedy center fielder to a single if he had fielded it cleanly; when the ball bounced off his chest and toward center field, Deshields was able to take second base. Calhoun was charged with an error.

With two outs, Choo dumped a single into right field, scoring Deshields.

For most of the night, Mike Minor (11-8) seemed determined to make the run hold up.

The Angels have seen two versions of the Rangers’ ace left-hander this season. One version tossed a complete-game shutout in Arlington on April 16, then allowed one run over six innings in a May rematch in Anaheim.

Then, in his last start before making his All-Star Game debut at age 31, Minor allowed three runs in 4⅓ laborious innings on July 3. And on Aug. 21, the Angels scored seven runs against Minor in 5⅓ innings. That was arguably Minor’s worst start of the season. It was his last start prior to Tuesday.

In their fifth head-to-head meeting, the Angels saw both versions of Minor. He allowed only one hit – a single by Andrelton Simmons – prior to the fateful seventh inning.

Shohei Ohtani led off the seventh with a first-pitch single. Minor then walked Justin Upton and Albert Pujols back-to-back, loading the bases for Simmons.

Minor struck out Simmons for the first out. But he hung a 2-and-2 slider over the middle of the plate for Calhoun, whose double gave the Angels a 2-1 lead. Pujols went to third on the play.

With two outs, Brian Goodwin pinch hit for Max Stassi and lined a single up the middle to score Pujols and Calhoun.

In the eighth inning, Danny Santana hit a home run against Cam Bedrosian to pull Texas within 4-2. But Trout launched a towering homer to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning against Rafael Montero, giving him 43 home runs and 100 RBIs for the season. Trout has hit 11 of his home runs this year against the Rangers.

More to come on this story.

.@MikeTrout, OVER the bullpen. pic.twitter.com/FD1O7E7PTI

— MLB (@MLB) August 28, 2019

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[Troll Daddy]

He’s a keeper and a important part of the Angels core group.

[Pancake Bear]

1 hour ago, Troll Daddy said:

He’s a keeper and a important part of the Angels core group.

Nothing  has changed.

- He costs $14mil, which is at best approximately equal value to what he did this year (2.1 fWAR, 1.9 bWAR)

- His OPS+ and wRC+ for this season are worse than Upton's career numbers

- Actually, his numbers are barely above league average offensively (the gaudy home run totals disguise this)

- At age 32, he isn't going to get better

- Given past inconsistency, he's as likely to regress as he is to stay at this level

- We have no spot for him unless we move Upton (who is not moveable) or trade Adell (who shouldn't be traded)

So, no. He isn't a keeper. And I can pretty much guarantee he won't be kept.

 

[Michifan]

That may be true, but he's still an Angel (at least for now) in the mold of Erstad or Salmon or Anderson, a homegrown that I love to see play and who gives what he's got to the team. 

[jsnpritchett]

22 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

He’s a keeper and a important part of the Angels core group.