July 22: Texas 1, Anaheim 0
Texas and Anaheim are two of the lowest scoring teams in the league, but still, no one expects an elite pitchers duel when Fergie Jenkins and Kelvim Escobar square off. But both hurlers are in the Rhubarb for a reason, and they put on one of the best duels of the season. Both pitched nine innings, gave up three walks, and three singles, and zero earned runs. It was all goose eggs in the top of the ninth when Angels second baseman Bobby Grich made a critical error that allowed Al Oliver to advance to second and Alex Rodriguez to reach safely. Rusty Greer singled home Oliver for the only run of the game.
“I feel terrible letting down Kelvim on a day when he pitches like that,” said a forlorn Grich after the game. “That’s baseball,” said Escobar.
For Jenkins, it was second shutout of the season, the first coming just two starts ago.
R H BB TEX 000 000 001 - 1 3 3 ANA 000 000 000 - 0 3 3 HR: none starters IP R ER HR BB SO F. Jenkins 9.0 0 0 0 3 7 K. Escobar 9.0 1 0 0 3 5 TEX 42-53, ANA 35-60
July 23: Texas 7, Anaheim 0
The Angels bats remained in deep freeze the next day against Charlie Hough’s dancin’ knucklers. They did draw six walks, but with two singles being their only hits, it was another lousy day for Anaheim. It was Hough’s first shutout.
Anaheim was still yet to collect an extra base hit or score a run in the series. It was the first time the Angels were shutout in back-to-back games and the first time the Rangers recorded consecutive shutouts.
Backup second baseman Ian Kinsler provided surprising pop in the ninth spot for Texas, drilling two homers, a single, and collecting five RBI.
R H BB TEX 002 050 000 - 7 10 5 ANA 000 000 000 - 0 2 6 HR: I. Kinsler-2 (3) starters IP R ER HR BB SO C. Hough 9.0 0 0 0 6 3 F. Tanana 4.1 7 4 2 2 5 TEX 43-53, ANA 35-61
July 24: Anaheim 10, Texas 5
It turned out Anaheim was just saving all their offense for the last game. They didn’t waste time bum-rushing a wild Yu Darvish, who walked five in the first inning. Then Brian Downing and Mike Trout went back-to-back donging to start the second inning, and Darvish whirled his way to the showers.
R H BB TEX 000 401 000 - 5 9 5 ANA 520 100 02x - 10 12 5 HR: R. Greer (4), B. Downing (7), M. Trout (9) starters IP R ER HR BB SO Y. Darvish 1.0 7 5 2 5 1 A. Messersmith 6.1 5 5 1 5 4 TEX 43-54, ANA 36-61
