Beltre leads Rangers over Angels; Chirinos breaks forearm
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Adrian Beltre homered and doubled twice, leading Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers over the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 Saturday night.
The Rangers, however, lost catcher Robinson Chirinos to a broken right forearm. He left in the middle of the game.
Hamels (2-0) pitched six crisp innings to win his ninth straight decision in the regular season. He allowed a run and four hits, struck out four and induced three double-play grounders in his Angel Stadium debut.
Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth for his second save.
Garrett Richards (0-2) gave up two earned runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Beltre, who turned 37 years old on Thursday, gave the defending AL West champions a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a leadoff homer. It was his first this season and 414th of his career, tying Darrell Evans for 46th place all-time.
Beltre has 36 homers, 137 career RBIs and 233 hits against the Angels, his highest totals against one club.
The Rangers made it 4-1 in the seventh with Bryan Holaday's RBI double and Roughned Odor's run-scoring single against Jose Alvarez. Holaday had taken over in the fifth for Chirinos.
Prince Fielder hit an RBI single in the Texas first.
Albert Pujols drove in the tying run in the bottom half with a grounder.It was the 1,700th RBI for the three-time NL MVP, breaking a tie with Jim Thome for 24th place all-time and putting him two behind Reggie Jackson.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: RF Shin-Soo Choo was scratched from the starting lineup because of a strained right calf muscle, which occurred while he was running on the wet outfield grass during batting practice. Ryan Rua started in his place. . RHP Yu Darvish, still rehabbing from elbow surgery, threw 50 pitches during a bullpen session and is scheduled to throw live batting practice for the first time on Wednesday in Arlington while the club is in Seattle.
Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson, who underwent shoulder surgery last August, has been cleared to begin a throwing program on Monday in Arizona. "The strength test was good," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been down for a long time, so he'll probably start at 60 feet, then 90, just to activate his arm."
"We're not even close to talking about him getting on a mound," Scioscia said.
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (0-0) gets the assignment in the finale of the four-game series. He was 0-5 with a 4.81 ERA in eight road starts last season, and is coming off a no-decision against Seattle in which he allowed two runs in six innings.
Angels: RHP Jered Weaver, whose streak of six consecutive opening day starts ended last Monday because of nerve problems in his neck and shoulder, makes his season debut following a 2015 campaign in which he was 7-12 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts.
