ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joey Gallo homered and grounded a tiebreaking single to the vacant spot at shortstop against the shift, helping the Texas Rangers beat the Angels 12-7 on Monday night in Mike Trout's return after the Los Angeles star missed three games with a groin injury.
Gallo stopped an 0-for-16 slump by lining his fifth homer into the porch in right field . The left-handed slugger, who has faced four infielders on the right side and four outfielders among various alignments, hit a sharp grounder to left to spark a four-run fifth that broke a 4-all tie. Gallo's third hit was a double in the eighth.
Cam Bedrosian (1-1) allowed five of the seven hitters he faced to reach, starting with Elvis Andrus' leadoff double in the fifth. Two runs scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's RBI single when right fielder Kole Calhoun's throw home skipped past Kevan Smith, allowing Gallo to score.
Some LA sloppiness that didn't result in an error helped Texas erase a 4-1 deficit in the third.
With Danny Santana at third and one out after Choo's homer, Nomar Mazara's high popup near home landed between Albert Pujols and Smith, with the first baseman gesturing to his catcher that it should have been Smith's ball. Mazara's groundout scored Santana before Gallo homered.
Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (1-1, 3.86 ERA) has allowed two runs in 14 innings of past two starts and will be working on an extra day of rest. Minor didn't face the Angels in the four-game series in Anaheim earlier this season.