RANGERS GET MUCH NEEDED WIN AGAINST ANGELS

NOTE: I was watching the Texas Tech vs. UT game tonight so I missed the Ranger game, and wouldn't you know it - they actually won! So this recap is courtesy of the Dallas Morning News:

The run-scoring double credited to Chris Davis on Saturday was nearly nabbed at the edge of the infield grass.

The single by Elvis Andrus that brought in the second Texas Rangers run somehow made it through two infielders.

To a struggling offense, both hits looked like heaven.

A pair of hits that traveled no more than 250 feet between them broke the Rangers' club-record scoring dearth, and a 407-foot solo homer by Hank Blalock gave the Rangers just enough offense for a 3-2 victory before 46,595 fans at Rangers Ballpark.

But they had to sweat out a nerve-racking ninth inning against division-leading Los Angeles to snap a five-game losing streak and ensure their first non-losing season since 2004.

The Rangers had scored only once in 48 inning and had been shut out in 25 straight before scoring in the third inning – on what will probably go down as the shortest double of Davis' career.

"I felt like maybe things were about to change," manager Ron Washington said. "We got a run right there, and when Elvis tied the ballgame ... I said, 'We're going to win this ballgame.' Then, Hank hit the home run. "

The victory cut the Rangers' deficit in the American League West to 6½ games, but it also inspired talk of building momentum in their chase of the Angels over the final 15 games.

A little offense could do wonders the way the pitching staff has performed the last three games. Scott Feldman shined again for the Rangers as he outdueled fellow right-hander Jered Weaver.

Feldman went 6 2/3 innings for his 17th win this season, the most for a Rangers pitcher since Kenny Rogers won 18 in 2004. Feldman has three starts remaining.

He was given a lead in the third after Nelson Cruz drew a lead-off walk and stole second base. Davis then sent a cue shot past Weaver and toward shortstop Maicer Izturis, who attempted to bare-hand the ball and throw to first.

But he whiffed as he grabbed it, and Cruz took off as the ball trickled into the outfield. He didn't stop running until he was in the dugout, and Davis was on second.

"I'll take it," Davis said.

The Angels countered with two-out runs in the next two innings, but another well-placed single pulled the Rangers even in the fifth. Andrus' two-out grounder kicked off third baseman Chone Figgins' glove and past Izturis – just far enough for Ivan Rodriguez to score.

Blalock, who started at first base as Davis moved to third, broke the tie in the sixth with his 24th homer of the season.

"It was as much of a must-win game as we've had all year," Blalock said. "The streak we've been on, and the timing of it, has been really hard on us."

So was the ninth, when Frank Francisco faced a one-out, bases-loaded jam and fell behind in the count 3-0 to Howie Kendrick. After taking two strikes, Kendrick hit into a double play to end it.

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com