Angels Get Texas-Sized Break

The ball rolled under the glove of second baseman Michael Young, allowing the Angels to score the tying run, and suddenly these were again the Texas Rangers their American League West rivals had known and loved over the last few years.

After baffling the Angels with uncharacteristically sound baseball over the first two games of this four-game series, the Rangers on Wednesday returned to the form that typified their three consecutive last-place finishes, unraveling late during a 9-8 loss before 19,014 at The Ballpark in Arlington.

The Rangers squandered a four-run lead when the Angels posted seven runs in the eighth inning, four of them after Young should have fielded Scott Spiezio’s grounder to end the inning.

“I thought I’d make that play 100 times out of 100,” Young said. “I had to look into right field to believe it was even out there.”

So did Angel pinch-runner Julio Ramirez, who paused after rounding third base on the blunder before coming home to tie the score, 6-6.

After Eric Owens walked to load the bases, Bengie Molina stroked a two-run single to right -- over the outstretched glove of a leaping Young, no less -- and Chone Figgins followed with a run-scoring single to center to make it 9-6, Angels.

The pitching line on Texas reliever Francisco Cordero, also instrumental in the Angels’ rally: one-third inning, three hits, two walks and five runs -- though only one was earned.

“If you give us too many chances to score, we’re going to score,” said Molina, who collected two hits in the big inning. Molina’s mere presence was a second chance of sorts, considering the catcher thought he would have to leave the game in the second inning when he lost feeling in his right hand after a fouled pitch hit him in the forearm.

“We got some chances and some breaks.”

Even second base umpire Jerry Layne might have contributed to the Angels’ fourth come-from-behind victory of the season.

With one run in, two on and one out in the eighth, Garret Anderson hit a grounder to Young. Young went to tag Tim Salmon, who was running to second from first on the play, but Salmon backpedaled and eluded the tag by sliding underneath Young’s feet toward the infield grass. Young’s only play was to throw to first to get Anderson.

Ranger Manager Buck Showalter argued with Layne, to no avail.

“I thought [Salmon] should have been called out for a couple of reasons,” Showalter said, “but I’m not going to dwell on it.”

Said Salmon: “I weigh 240 pounds. I’m never going to get out of a rundown, so I just wanted to make it as difficult as possible.”

After Salmon was ruled safe, Ramirez promptly entered to run for him.

Francisco Rodriguez picked up his first career regular-season victory with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Troy Percival survived a shaky ninth in which he surrendered a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez to record his second save.

The Rangers lost despite getting a solid six-inning performance from Chan Ho Park and hitting four home runs, three off Angel starter John Lackey. Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer in the fourth, and Carl Everett and Alex Rodriguez added solo shots in the seventh on consecutive pitches to almost the identical spot in center field.

Said Young: “I’m sure they’re smiling in there, knowing they stole one from us.”