Jefrey Marte has a blast in Angels’ 7-4 win over the Rangers

The Angels are on a roll, leading the major leagues in runs and batting with runners in scoring position in July, so why not give Jefry Marte, a 25-year-old rookie with a mere 187 big league at-bats on his resume, the green light with a 3-0 count, two on and one out in the first inning Wednesday night?

Marte got just the pitch he was looking for, a thigh-high, center-cut, 94-mph fastball from left-hander Martin Perez, and he didn’t miss it, launching a three-run home run that traveled 455 feet to left-center field.

The blast capped a four-run rally that set the tone on a night the Angels scored in each of the first four innings and extended their win streak to six in a 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers in Angel Stadium.

“With runners on first and third and a 3-0 count on a young player, we felt like if it was in the zone, he would put a good swing on it, make contact and get at least one run home,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of Marte.

“The downside of it is a young player sometimes expands the zone and makes an easy out on a 3-0 pitch that experience, being the teacher, says you shouldn’t have swung at. But Jefry waited for a good pitch, he was patient, he got a fastball right there and hammered it.”

The Angels, who have won 10 of 12 games after going 2-12 in their previous 14 games from June 20 to July 4, completed their second undefeated homestand of six games or more since 2004, the last coming in June 2014.

They also pulled to within 111/2 games of the Rangers in the American League West, having shaved eight games off the lead in July. Texas has lost 12 of 15 games behind a rotation that is 1-11 with an 8.83 earned-run average in that span.

“When you fall that far back, you go, ‘Here we go, let’s have some fun,’” Angels pitcher Hector Santiago said of the 191/2-game deficit to open July. “Who knows? If we win 25 more straight, we’ll be in a good position.”

The Angels have scored a major league-high 110 runs, an average of 6.9 a game, in July and are batting a major league-best .356 (57 for 160) with runners in scoring position this month.

“These guys keep grinding it out,” Scioscia said. “It’s much more fun, obviously, when you’re scoring runs and winning. It’s going to look like you have a lot more life. But even in the tough times, our clubhouse has been good, the bench has been good, and these guys play to the last out. We’re getting games on our terms and holding leads, and it’s been fun to watch.”

Santiago wasn’t as sharp Wednesday night as he was in his previous three starts, allowing three earned runs and five hits in five innings, striking out three, walking three and needing 100 pitches, 63 of them strikes, to record 15 outs.

The left-hander, who improved to 8-4 with a 4.32 ERA, walked the bases loaded with two outs in the second but was saved by left fielder Todd Cunningham, who made an over-the-shoulder running catch of Jurickson Profar’s drive on the warning track to end the inning.

“He tried to force a couple of things,” Scioscia said of Santiago. “He struggled with his fastball command all night. Instead of trying to pitch his way out by changing speeds, he kept trying to throw harder and consequently lost his release point.”

Ian Desmond singled in the third and scored on Adrian Beltre’s triple to left. That snapped Santiago’s streak of 24 innings without allowing an earned run. Ryan Rua’s sacrifice fly pulled Texas to within 5-2. Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer off Santiago in the fourth to make it 6-3.

Albert Pujols, who was cleared by doctors to play after taking a 92-mph fastball to the face in the seventh inning Tuesday night, singled in a run in the first, giving him 12 RBIs in four games, and singled and scored on a balk in the third.

Cunningham doubled in the fourth and scored on Yunel Escobar’s sacrifice fly for a 7-3 lead. Escobar also had an RBI single in the second.

Relievers J.C. Ramirez, Joe Smith and Jose Alvarez threw scoreless innings. Closer Huston Street gave up a solo homer to Desmond with two outs in the ninth but got Rougned Odor to fly to left with two on to end the game.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeDiGiovanna