Rangers come from behind to beat Angels, 4-3

Hard-throwing reliever Tanner Scheppers snuffed out an Angels threat to tie the score in the eighth inning Sunday, and the Texas Rangers held on for a 4-3 victory at Angel Stadium.

Down by a run, Kole Calhoun, who hit a solo homer in the second, led off the eighth with a double off the right-field wall off left-hander Neal Cotts.

Scheppers replaced Cotts, and Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo, after swinging through a 97-mph fastball, did well to hit a grounder to second that advanced Calhoun to third.

But Hank Conger, after taking two 97-mph fastballs for strikes, whiffed on a 98-mph fastball, and Grant Green flied out to deep center to end the inning.

Closer Joe Nathan retired the side in order in the ninth for his 39^th save to help the Rangers avoid a three-game sweep and remain 1 1/2 games behind Oakland in the American League West.

Jason Vargas gave the Angels a chance to win with a quality start, allowing two runs and six hits, striking out eight and walking one in six innings, but Texas scored twice in the seventh off relievers Buddy Boshers and Michael Kohn to take a 4-3 lead.

Leonys Martin walked with one out, and Manager Mike Scioscia pulled Boshers, the left-hander, in favor of the right-handed Kohn. Ian Kinsler hit a ground-rule double to left field, and Elvis Andrus, with the infield in, hit a towering popup to shallow right-center field.

Calhoun raced in from right field and made a spectacular diving catch, but Martin alertly tagged and beat Calhoun’s throw home to tie the score, 3-3. Alex Rios followed with a run-scoring double to shallow left-center, a ball that dropped just in front of diving center fielder Mike Trout to score the go-ahead run.

The Angels built a 3-1 lead through four innings on the strength of Calhoun’s solo homer to right field in the second — his sixth homer in 38 games, putting the outfielder on a pace for 25 homers in 162 games — and Andrew Romine’s clutch two-out, two-run double to left in the fourth.

It was only the second hit in 14 career at-bats from the right side for Romine, who briefly gave up switch-hitting last season. The rally started with Trumbo’s single and Conger’s double, which also came from the right side, the first career extra-base hit from switch-hitting catcher’s weaker side.

The Rangers cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth when Martin singled, took second on Kinsler’s groundout and scored on Andrus’ single to center.

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