ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa matched a career high with four hits, Nick Solak drove in a pair of runs and the Texas Rangers have won consecutive games for only the third time this season, beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Wednesday night.
The Rangers had lost six in row, and 18 of 21, before winning the series opener Tuesday. They also ended a stretch of seven consecutive series losses by taking the first two games in the three-game set.
John King (1-0), the third of seven Texas pitchers, gave up an unearned run over his two innings for his first major league win. The left-hander took over after Jesse Chavez retired the only two batters he faced after coming on with the bases loaded in the third after rookie starter Kyle Cody had issued three consecutive one-out walks.
Matt Thaiss homered for the Angels, a solo shot in the seventh. They had arrived in Texas with season-best, five-game winning streak.
Texas went ahead to stay on Solak's sacrifice fly that made it 3-2 in the fifth, and chased Angels starter Julio Teheran (0-3). That was part of a five-run inning that started with rookie Anderson Tejada's one-double before Eli White followed with his first major league hit, an RBI double in his 17th at-bat, to tie the game at 2.
Joey Gallo had an RBI single to greet reliever Hoby Milner, who didn't retire any of the four batters he faced. The bases were loaded when Milner walked Rougned Odor and then hit Ronald Guzman with a pitch.
Texas added a run in the sixth on a double steal, with Leody Taveras racing home when Kiner-Falefa stole second base.
Kiner-Falefa had a leadoff double in the fourth, and scored on Solak's single. Kiner-Falefa is hitting .447 (21 of 47) during a 12-game hitting streak, and his fourth career four-hit game raised his batting average 20 points to .322, and into the top five averages in the American League.
Angels: OF Justin Upton was out of the lineup because of bruised left wrist after getting hit by a pitch and coming out of the series opener. Manager Joe Maddon said Upton was upbeat before the game and “feeling pretty good.”
Rangers: C Jose Trevino left the game in the middle of an at-bat in the fourth with a left wrist sprain. X-rays were negative. ... OF/INF Danny Santana had right elbow surgery, and is expected to be sidelined at least seven months. Santana, who played only 15 games this season, hasn't played since Aug. 26, before going on the injured list for the second time this season. ... Shin-Soo Choo was put on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, with a sprained right hand. Odor was activated after missing 11 games because of an eye infection.
The Rangers go for only their second series sweep of the season — they also won all three games at home against the Angels from Aug. 7-9. Right-hander Dylan Bundy (4-2, 2.49) pitches for Los Angeles, while right-hander Kyle Gibson (1-4, 6.16) starts for Texas.