Garrett Richards didn't just make a quality start Friday night against the Texas Rangers; he was good enough to get the win.
The Angels' starting pitcher was back on the Angel Stadium mound for the first time since last August.
There were some control issues as Richards walked three in the first three innings of the Angels series opening, 3-2 win.
The two walks in the third came back to haunt him. Although the Rangers didn't hit the ball out of the outfield in that inning, they scored two runs against Richards. The first on a groundout to second. The next run came on an infield single -- a comebacker off of the glove of Richards by Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder.
Richards then found his groove after he got out of the third inning, retiring 14 of the next 15 Rangers batters.
It was pretty close to the G-Rich of 2014.
"I don't see much difference," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think there's more confidence he carries from knowing what he did last year.
"He's picked it right up. His stuff looks the same and he's thrown the ball well the first two starts."
He showed signs of growth on the mound Friday night as well. Earlier in his career, the back-to-back walks, which led to two Rangers runs, would likely have caused a downward spiral. However, Richards showed some resolve while picking up his first win of the season, never facing more than the minimum three hitters in an inning the rest of the way.
"It's a mature process," said Richards, who's last win prior to Friday was last August in Texas. "I'm not going to let one inning ruin my entire outing. We're always in the game until the end of the game. After the third I sat down on the bench and regrouped and went back out for the fourth. That's the approach you have to take if you're going to be successful at this level."
In addition to the three walks and two earned runs he allowed, Richards gave up three hits and struck out five in seven innings of work.
After he was done retiring Rangers, his teammates picked him up. David Freese left the yard, hitting a two-run home run to center field to put the Angels ahead for good in the bottom of the seventh while placing Richards in line for his first win since returning from knee surgery.
"It was nice to get the lead before G-Rich was, technically, not available to get the 'W'," Freese said. "That was huge.
"I was rounding the bases just fired up thinking about him, trying to get that 'W' for him."
