Bottom of the Ninth a Winner for Rangers
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ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 1: Designated hitter Hank Blalock #9 of the Texas Rangers celebrates a homerun with teammate Nelson Cruz #17 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the fourth inning at Rangers Ballpark July 1, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Hank Blalock's second homer of the game, a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning, gave Texas a 9-7 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night and moved the Rangers within one-half game of the Angels in the AL West.
Juan Rivera's three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth off Frank Francisco (2-1) tied the game at 7-all as the Angels erased a six-run deficit.
Michael Young singled off Justin Speier (3-2) leading off the Texas ninth. After a sacrifice and a strikeout, Blalock, who homered in the fourth, hit the first pitch into the grassy area beyond the fence in center field.
Texas improved to 5-1 against Los Angeles this season. The teams meet again for a three-game set next week in Los Angeles.
Copyright Associated Press
Posted Thursday, Jul 16, 2009 - 8:51 PM CST
