STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nick Martinez retired the first 15 batters he faced the only other time he started against the Los Angeles Angels.
This time, the young Texas Rangers right-hander gave up a leadoff hit and then a home run to the same batter a few innings later.
Kole Calhoun had three hits, including a game-opening single and a tiebreaking, three-run shot in the fifth, and the Angels stretched their winning streak against their AL West rivals to eight with a 5-4 victory Friday night.
“I thought he threw well,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said about Martinez. “Just one unexecuted pitch, the one to Calhoun. He wanted to go down and away, and ended up pulling it across the middle of the plate.”
Martinez (2-9), who got a no-decision after going a career-high seven innings in a 10-inning Texas loss June 21 against the Angels, struck out six while allowing four runs and six hits in six innings.
Calhoun, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, had multiple hits for the fifth time in his last six games.
Garrett Richards (13-4) struck out seven without a walk in 7 1-3 innings, and has won all four of his starts this season against Texas. The right-hander allowed two runs while scattering seven hits.
Huston Street worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in as many chances since the Angels acquired him. He has thrown 11 scoreless innings in 11 games since the July 18 trade from San Diego, where he had 24 saves.
The Angels led for good after Calhoun’s 412-foot shot off Martinez (2-9) into the second deck of seats in right field made it 4-1 in the fifth.
Shin-Soo Choo led off against Richards with a single and came home on the first of Adrian Beltre’s four singles, three of them off Richards.
Beltre also broke up a double play with a hard slide in the eighth to extend that inning and allow a final run to score, when the Rangers scored three times — twice off reliever Kevin Jepsen.
“But we weren’t able to finish the job,” said Beltre, who is hitting .321 this season.
Jon Edwards made his major league debut in the eighth after having his contract purchased from Triple-A Round Rock earlier in the day. The right-hander from nearby Keller High became the 57th player, 36th pitcher and 18th rookie for Texas this season.
The Rangers are one shy of matching the 2002 San Diego Padres for the most pitchers ever used. They are two off the major league record shared by three teams for most players used in one season, including those Padres.
Edwards, who had a blown tire on the way from Round Rock to Arlington, got two outs despite throwing 10 balls among his 19 pitches. His last struck out Erick Aybar.
“That was gutsy right there. Having issues trying to command the ball and then drops a breaking ball in for a called third strike,” Washington said. “He’s going to be OK.”
NOT A GOOD CENTURY
The Rangers lost for the 67th time in their last 100 games since April 25, including 40 losses in their last 52 games overall. They have also lost 15 of their last 19 home games, and dropped five consecutive series openers.
A NEW DOZEN TO THE SHOW
Edwards, an outfielder when drafted by St. Louis in 2006, became the 12th Texas player to make his major league debut this season. When he came out, Alex Claudio pitched in his third straight game since being called up for the first time Wednesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Rookie RHP Mike Morin is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list Saturday, the first day the reliever is eligible to come back after missing 13 games with a cut on his left foot.
Rangers: Alex Rios was back in RF for the first time since Sunday, when he re-aggravated a right ankle sprain on a slide. After being the DH the previous two games, he did some early work in the field before starting in the outfield.
UP NEXT
Los Angeles goes for its ninth consecutive win against the Rangers, which would match its longest streak in the series, a mark set from 1985-86. Matt Shoemaker tries to become the Angels’ third 11-game winner in the middle game of the weekend set. Colby Lewis (8-9) starts for the Rangers.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
