ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — They traded away their homegrown All-Star slugger, an All-Star starting pitcher and their closer, but it seems Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward and his last-place team are starting to have a little fun, and are getting over the sting of the roster changes.
They have won three games in a row, the latest going ahead with a steal of home after consecutive wins when they won on game-ending homers by their rookie switch-hitting catcher.
Dane Dunning won consecutive starts for the first time this season, Brock Holt scored the tiebreaking run with a headfirst slide into home on the back-end of a double steal in the fifth inning and the Rangers beat the Los Angels Angels 4-1 on Monday night.
Eli White #41, Jason Martin #50, and Adolis Garcia #53 of the Texas Rangers run to the infield after the 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on August 02, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (credit: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
“That was probably our best game all year, just execution wise, just the way we played the game,” Woodward said. “We looked relaxed.”
Holt got the Rangers’ second steal of home this season, and later added a sacrifice fly.
Dunning (5-7) got Shohei Ohtani out for the third time, on a ground ball ending the top of the fifth. That was the last batter for Dunning, who struck out three, walked two and allowed one run on three hits.
Spencer Patton worked the ninth for his first big league save in three chances this season (and 73 appearance overalls). That wrapped up four perfect innings by a trio of relievers for the Rangers, who had lost 14 of 15 before their winning streak.
“I told a lot of the guys after the game, that’s kind of the vision you have for a winning ballclub,” Woodward said. “There was a calmness about our guys. We’ve been preaching this for three years now, so I don’t know if it’s after the (trade) deadline or if they just feel like, obviously, it’s a good unit, good group of guys. But we need to see that more often. And if we can do that every night, we give ourselves a chance.”
The Rangers last week traded away slugger Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees, while sending starter Kyle Gibson and closer Ian Kennedy to Philadelphia. They designated former NL All-Star outfielder David Dahl earlier Monday.
Angels right-hander Chris Rodriguez (2-1) struck out seven and walked two while allowing four runs (three earned) and four hits while pitching into the seventh of his first big league start.
“He has a lot of self-confidence naturally, and a game like that will give him even greater self-confidence as a pitcher,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said.
Rodriguez made 13 relief appearances earlier this season for the Angels before being sent to the minors June 21 to become a starter. His first MLB start came a day after Reid Detmers, the only higher-rated pitching prospect in the Angels organization, made his.
“Being able to throw after he did, it’s a blessing,” Rodriguez said. “We can have conversations about our starts and keep on growing together.”
Holt was in a 3-for-36 slide before his double in the fifth. He went to third after Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on a fielder’s choice that was the second out. Kiner-Falefa drew a throw from catcher Max Stassi as he stole second, and Holt then took off and beat a one-hop throw back to the plate by shortstop José Iglesias for a 2-1 lead.
“We had a different sign on, we kind of got messed up on the field,” Maddon said. “That’s not what we wanted to do.”
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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