ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Kole Calhoun hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels rallied to beat the Texas Rangers 7-4 on Saturday night.
Los Angeles remained 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the AL’s second wild card berth. Texas fell to four games behind the Twins.
Losing pitcher Jose Leclerc (2-3) walked the first three batters in the 10th. Two scored when Calhoun looped his single into left field, and the third came in on a sacrifice fly by C.J. Cron, who had three RBIs in the game.
The Rangers led 4-2 with two outs in the top of the ninth before Luis Valbuena doubled and Cron lined his 13th home run into the left field stands against rookie Ricky Rodriguez to tie the game at 4.
Yusmeiro Petit (4-0), the fifth Los Angeles pitcher, earned the win, and Blake Parker worked a hitless 10th inning for his fifth save in seven opportunities.
Carlos Gomez homered and scored twice for Texas. He led off the second inning with his 17th homer and led off the fourth with a double. Joey Gallo singled home Gomez for a 3-1 lead.
For the Angels’ first two runs, in the fourth and sixth, Mike Trout doubled and scored on a two-out single by Albert Pujols. He has 21 RBIs in his last 19 games.
The first four Texas runs were scored by a batter leading off an inning.
Delino DeShields walked in the first and crossed home plate on a fielder’s choice by Elvis Andrus. Robinson Chirinos walked and scored when Nomar Mazara hit a bases-loaded groundout in the seventh.
Each starting pitcher went 5 2/3 innings. The Rangers’ A.J. Griffin allowed two runs, and Ricky Nolasco gave up three for Los Angeles.
Griffin retired the first 10 Angels before Trout doubled with one out in the fourth.
Nolasco reached 1,500 career strikeouts with his sixth of the game in the sixth inning, when Gallo swung and missed on a 79-mph splitter.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP Garrett Richards, on the disabled list since April because of a strained biceps, threw a bullpen before Saturday’s game. He said it went well. Richards could be activated to start a game as soon as Monday at Oakland.
UP NEXT
Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (1-0, 5.63) will make his fourth start of the season in the series’ final game on Sunday. Heaney allowed one run in six innings for a win in his previous start Monday against Oakland.
Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (10-10, 4.89) will start the third game of the series. He leads Texas in wins, and has won his last five starts.
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