J-Up Hits 2 Solo Shots To Lift Angels Over Rangers, 2-0
Parker Bridwell (8-2) retired the first 13 batters he faced and left after a leadoff walk in the seventh.
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Parker Bridwell (8-2) retired the first 13 batters he faced and left after a leadoff walk in the seventh.
Los Angeles used seven pitchers in a bullpen start, with former closer Bud Norris getting the first six outs.
Albert Pujols hit his 613th career homer in the ninth inning, breaking his tie with Jim Thome for seventh place in baseball history.
The Angels finished with 13 hits, eight for extra bases.
Verlander (12-8) struck out nine and walked one in another overpowering performance for his new team.
Mike Trout and Luis Valbuena had solo homers as Los Angeles moved a game behind Minnesota, which lost 11-3 to Kansas City.
Angels starter Andrew Heaney (1-2) left in the third after 60 pitches with shoulder soreness.
Gamel provided the big blow with his eighth home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the second on a 1-2 pitch from Angels starter Ricky Nolasco.
Sean Manaea pitched six-plus innings of shutout ball and Khris Davis homered as the Oakland Athletics snapped a season-high eight-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
The Angels are five games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2015 season.
The 12 pitchers overall topped the previous AL mark of 11 done four times, most recently by Tampa Bay in 2013.
The Rangers (68-68) went ahead to stay when Robinson Chirinos and Delino DeShields hit back-to-back homers in the fourth.
Los Angeles remained 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the AL's second wild card berth.
Carlos Gomez scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a wild pitch and the Texas Rangers moved up in the AL wild-card race, holding off the Los Angeles Angels 10-9 Friday night in a game that lasted more than 4 ½ hours.
In a last second block buster deal, the Angels help their playoff chances by acquiring All-Star outfielder Justin Upton.
