The Angels and Rangers have been portrayed as the new Yankees-Red Sox, one side warily eyeing the other and making moves in response to their rival.
However, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto dismissed that as a factor in his thinking as Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline approached.
"We have to tend our own garden," Dipoto said last week. "The Angels are the Angels. The Rangers are the Rangers."
Each team made a move to shore up its starting pitching before the deadline. The Angels added Zack Greinke last week. The Rangers acquired Ryan Dempster just before the deadline arrived Tuesday.
"They had to," Angels veteran Torii Hunter said, referring to the Rangers' need to replace two starting pitchers lost to season-ending surgeries (Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz). "You lose two starters, you have to go out and get somebody. We all could see that coming."
The Angels clearly got the better player in Greinke, the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner -- the best player to switch teams at the deadline this year. But manager Mike Scioscia was unwilling to get drawn into the point-counterpoint nature of trade-deadline analysis.
"We're focused on our team. We've gotten stronger from some acquisitions that have happened over the course of the season," he said before the Angels beat the Rangers for the second day in a row, winning 6-2 Tuesday. "We're just looking at our team, and that's what we're going to focus on, whether a team like the Rangers did acquire someone or not."
Dempster is expected to join the Rangers in time to pitch Thursday's series finale against the Angels.
NOTES, QUOTES
Trout sets AL rookie runs record for July
--OF Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs Tuesday to end July with 10 home runs and 32 runs. The 10 home runs are the most ever by an American League rookie in July and the most by an Angels rookie in any month (matching Wally Joyner in May 1986). The 32 runs tied Hal Trosky (1934 Indians) for the most by any rookie in July and the most by a rookie in any month since Minnie Minoso scored 32 for the White Sox in May 1951.
--RHP Dan Haren said the soreness in his side has all but disappeared. Nonetheless, he will not make his scheduled start Wednesday. Rookie RHP Garrett Richards will start in Texas instead. Haren is tentatively scheduled to start again Sunday in Chicago.
--LHP Scott Downs was placed on the disabled list retroactive to July 28 with a shoulder strain. Downs said the problem first cropped up during his one-inning appearance Friday against the Rays, but he has not pitched well since the All-Star break (nine runs on nine hits and six walks in five innings).
--LHP Hisanori Takahashi was recalled from Class AAA Salt Lake to fill the bullpen vacancy created when LHP Scott Downs went on the disabled list. Takahashi was optioned to Class AAA Salt Lake last weekend when the Angels acquired RHP Zack Greinke. He is able to return sooner than the 10-day limit because he's replacing an injured player.
--1B Albert Pujols hit solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings against Rangers LHP Derek Holland on Tuesday. It was the 43rd multi-home run game of Pujols' career but his first with the Angels. He now has 465 career home runs, tied with Dave Winfield for 31st on the all-time list.
--RHP Jered Weaver retired the first 14 batters he faced Tuesday and took a shutout into the seventh inning to beat the Rangers. Weaver is now 14-1 with wins in each of his past eight starts, the longest winning streak by an Angels pitcher since Chuck Finley won 10 consecutive starts in July-August 1997. Weaver was 6-0 in July, the first time an American League pitcher has won six games in a month since White Sox RHP Jose Contreras went 6-0 in September 2005.
--OF Mark Trumbo, who did not play Monday due to upper back spasms, served as the designated hitter Tuesday. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
BY THE NUMBERS: .353, 18 homers, 31 stolen bases -- Angels rookie Mike Trout's totals heading into August. Only one other player in major league history has entered August with an average of .350 or above and at least 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases (Rickey Henderson in 1985).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "That's why they build domes." -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia, on the 103-degree heat at game time Tuesday in Texas.
