Angels Roll a Seven, Beat Rangers, 11-6

Adam Kennedy’s two-run single was the go-ahead hit as the Angels scored seven times in the seventh inning to beat the Texas Rangers, 11-6, Sunday night and avoid a three-game sweep.

Anaheim’s outburst came a half inning after Alex Rodriguez broke a 2-2 tie with his major league-leading 47th homer, a two-run shot, and Mark Teixeira homered for a 5-2 Texas lead.

With six games left, the defending World Series champion Angels (73-83) have a three-game lead over Texas for third place in the AL West. Anaheim is 20 games behind division-leading Oakland.

Alfredo Amezaga led off the seventh with a single off reliever Erasmo Ramirez. He scored on a one-out double by Chone Figgins, the first of six consecutive Anaheim batters to reach -- including all four faced by Ron Mahay (3-1).

Tim Salmon greeted Mahay with a run-scoring double before an intentional walk to load the bases. Kennedy’s two-run single put the Angels ahead, 6-5, and Shawn Wooten followed with a two-run double. Rosman Garcia’s wild pitch permitted another run.

Ramon Ortiz (16-12) worked six innings for the victory. It is his career high for wins, but he is 3-4 with an 8.48 earned-run average his last eight starts.

Rodriguez and Teixeira, who finished three for four, homered off Ortiz during a three-pitch span in the fifth.

After Michael Young led off the fifth with an infield single, Rodriguez hit a ball 428 feet into the Angels bullpen in left-center. Rafael Palmeiro, who was 0 or 4 in perhaps his last home game for Texas, popped out on the next pitch before Teixeira hit his 25th home run into the upper deck in right.

Palmeiro, who this year became the 19th player with 500 homers, is eligible for free agency after this season.

He wants to finish his career with the Rangers, and owner Tom Hicks wants him to stay, but the slugger won’t be able to return for the $9 million he made this season.

Young’s 14th homer led off the seventh against reliever Francisco Rodriguez. His 62nd multi-hit game pushed his season hit total to 198.

Ranger starter John Thomson overcame a rough start, pitching six innings and retiring eight of the last nine batters he faced before the bullpen blew the game.

Anaheim closer Troy Percival struck out two in pitching a perfect ninth in his first appearance in a week.