Mike Napoli runs wild as Texas Rangers pummel Los Angeles Angels 3-1 – MLB Update
Mike Napoli put in a brilliant performance on Wednesday, September 28 as he homered twice to lead the Texas Rangers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
The visiting American League West leaders were up for the last game of the season and they had two aims that coincided with their winning performance.
Rangers had a chance to reach their franchise’s best win record. They also had a chance to secure a home field advantage in the American League Division Series. The club needed a win to be on top and they pushed the Detroit Tigers behind as they gained all
their goals through former Angels’ man, Napoli. The catcher was up to his best as he punished Garrett Richard and Scott Walden.
Richards had a better performance on the mound following his weak start in his last game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He pitched five innings, allowing just two hits and one run. The young hurler came in to the game with an earned run
average of 8.00. His ERA however lowered to 5.79 as he gave Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia a good display of his talents.
Walden on the other hand was unlucky in his last inning of pitching as he gave away two hits and two runs to the Rangers. The closer’s earned run average increased to 2.98 as he ends the season now on 5-5.
Rangers were effective with the ball as Matt Harrison allowed a run from five hits in his six innings of pitching. Koji Uehara, Mike Adams and Neftali Feliz were on the mound after the starter to contain the Angels as Napoli broke the deadlock in the ninth
against Walden.
Both starting pitchers were doing well in the game till Napoli kicked the scoring trail off with a home-run in the top of the second. He smashed the ball towards centre-field to put the club on top with a score of 1-0.
Angels responded in the bottom of the fifth when Gil Velazquez hit a sacrifice fly to right-field to allow Bobby Wilson a scoring run. The teams were level on 1-1 and it was not till the ninth when the tiebreaking runs were scored.
Walden relived a horrible moment on the mound in the ninth as he gave away two runs to the Rangers. He conceded four runs to the Oakland Athletics in their last game of the previous series and the horror concluded in the last series. Michael Young was able
to put the star on the edge when he singled to the right. After Adrian Beltre popped out, Napoli came in to smash a two-run homer to the left.
The game was over for the Angels after they went 3-1 down as Neftali Feliz struck two hitters out and retired another player in the final inning.
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