After BP scuffle, Texas shut out
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Bartolo Colon combined with two relievers
on a one-hitter, and the Anaheim Angels beat the Texas Rangers 2-0
Tuesday night after the teams scuffled during batting practice.
Colon pitched seven dominant innings to win his fourth
consecutive start, and Texas' only hit was a clean, ground single
through the left side by Michael Young on a 3-1 pitch with two outs
in the third.
Before the game, a fight broke out between Angels second baseman
Adam Kennedy and Rangers catcher Gerald Laird, a carry-over from
their dispute the night before.
Laird thought Kennedy intentionally tried to get hit by one of
Ryan Drese's pitches with the bases loaded and two outs in the
second inning of Texas' 6-1 victory Monday night, and said
something to Kennedy when he came up again in the fifth.
Kennedy was standing behind the batting cage Tuesday and was
approached by Laird as the Angels were concluding BP and the
Rangers were finishing their pregame stretching. Moments later, the
two were in a tussle that spilled over to the warning track between
home plate and the first base dugout.
Soon every player from each team was involved, with players
pushing, shoving and grabbing each other before order was restored
approximately four minutes later. It was unclear whether any
punches were thrown.
"I'm surprised. It was stupid, to be honest. But it was fun,
though," Texas outfielder Brian Jordan said.
The skirmish nearly overshadowed Colon's best outing since
joining the Angels last December as a free agent.
Colon (9-8) got all eight of his strikeouts in the first 3 1-3
innings, cutting Texas' AL West lead to 1½ games over Oakland. He
lost six of seven decisions before this winning streak -- during
which his ERA is 1.67.
Colon walked two and came out after 95 pitches. Francisco
Rodriguez pitched a perfect eighth, and Troy Percival got three
straight outs for his 299th career save and 16th in 20 attempts
this season.
The one-hitter was the first by the Angels since May 26, 1989,
when Chuck Finley beat Boston 5-0 at Fenway Park. The last team to
throw a one-hitter against the Rangers was Oakland, beating them
10-0 behind Cory Lidle's complete game on July 19, 2002, at
Oakland.
Texas right-hander Nick Regilio, making his first major league
start, allowed two runs, five hits and three walks in five innings
while striking out four. Regilio took over in the rotation for
Ricardo Rodriguez, whose season ended last Thursday when a line
drive by Anaheim's Robb Quinlan broke his elbow.
Vladimir Guerrero, back in the Angels' lineup after missing
three games with a bruised right hand, singled with two outs in the
fourth and came all the way around with the first run on Jose
Guillen's double off the wall in right-center. Quinlan added an RBI
single after an intentional walk to Darin Erstad.
The inning ended with center fielder Laynce Nix making a fully
extended, backhanded, diving grab of Jose Molina's drive just in
front of the warning track. The catch was so sensational, Nix
received a standing ovation from the crowd of 42,625 -- most of whom
were decked out in Angels red.
Anaheim had a chance to break the game open in the sixth,
loading the bases with none one out against Joaquin Benoit. But the
right-hander, reinstated from the bereavement list Monday after
attending the funeral of his grandmother in the Dominican Republic,
struck out Quinlan, Molina and Kennedy on 12 pitches.Game notes
Colon has given up 28 home runs, tying him with Seattle's
Jamie Moyer for the most in the majors. The Rangers entered the
night leading the majors with 150 homers. ... Texas RF Gary
Matthews Jr. charged Tim Salmon's two-out single in the fifth and
erased Chone Figgins at third as he tried to advance two bases.
Figgins returned the favor in the sixth with a diving grab of Rod
Barajas' sinking liner to center field.
ANA Wins 2-1
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Mike Reilly
- First Base Umpire - C.B. Bucknor
- Second Base Umpire - Eric Cooper
- Third Base Umpire - Chuck Meriwether
2024 American League West Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 11 | 10 | .524 | - | L1 |
Seattle | 9 | 10 | .474 | 1 | W3 |
Los Angeles | 9 | 11 | .450 | 1.5 | L2 |
Oakland | 8 | 12 | .400 | 2.5 | L1 |
Houston | 7 | 14 | .333 | 4 | W1 |