ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Los Angeles Angels reliever Michael Kohn knew the ball was going into the seats without even have to turn and look.
Every game of their series at Texas ended the same way.
Adrian Beltre connected on a 2-2 fastball over the plate leading off the ninth, and the Texas Rangers won 2-1 on Wednesday night to wrap up a three-game series sweep in which they won each with a game-ending homer.
"It was supposed to be down and away, but I left it middle in," Kohn said. "He did what he does when you make a mistake. Lately, we've made a lot of mistakes. ... It was really a rough trip overall."
The Angels have lost six in a row since winning only the opener of this trip. They now go home for seven games – four against Toronto before hosting Texas next week.
Texas won the series opener Monday night when A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto both homered in the ninth inning off Angels closer Ernesto Frieri, Soto's blast providing a 4-3 victory. Then on Tuesday, after trailing four times, the Rangers again scored in the ninth off Frieri and won 14-11 after Leonys Martin hit a three-run homer in the 10th.
According to Elias, the last team to win three consecutive games with game-ending homers was Detroit in June 2004. The last to sweep a three-game series in that fashion was Arizona over Montreal in May 1999.
Nelson Cruz also homered Wednesday night for the Rangers, his 25th making it 1-0 in the second.
Josh Hamilton connected for the only Angels run, a 422-foot blast to right-center in the seventh. His 16th homer tied the game.
Texas had been shut out in three of their previous four games, and swept at Cleveland last weekend, before having three consecutive games end on homers for the first time in team history.
"It's overwhelming really," manager Ron Washington said. "We just kept battling, and you know when we're at our best, this is what you get. Not three walk-off home runs, but the different people getting it done. And that's what we need, is different people getting it done."
Rangers closer Joe Nathan (3-1) struck out two and walked one in the top of the ninth to win for the second night in a row. He had last won consecutive games in August. 2005.
Jerome Williams of the Angels and rookie Martin Perez for Texas, the starting pitchers, each allowed only one run while pitching into the eighth. Both had been struggling before their duel.
"We're not looking back on all three. We're just looking back at tonight," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We didn't do enough to support Jerome, who really pitched well. Unfortunately, Perez out-pitched him."
Williams scattered eight hits over 7 2-3 innings with two walks and one strikeout. The right-hander, who had an 8.90 ERA and five losses his previous seven starts, left with two on in the eighth, when Kohn got Ian Kinsler on an inning-ending flyball.
Asking if he could take solace from a good performance, Williams responded, "Personally, yes. Team-wise, no. `We didn't win. You don't want to lose a game like that."
Perez had allowed at least four earned runs in three consecutive starts. The lefty struck out four, walked two and allowed only four hits in 7 1-3 innings before Tanner Scheppers closed out the eighth.
Cruz is among several players waiting to find out if they will be suspended by Major League Baseball in its investigation related to the Biogenesis case. Discipline is expected to be announced by the end of the weekend.
The All-Star right fielder, who is eligible for free agency after the season, leads the Rangers with 25 homers and 73 RBIs.
"Very impressed," Washington said. "He's been a model citizen, to be going through what's he going through and able to do (what he's doing). ... He's been very good leaving whatever issue he has on the outside, and you've got to commend him for that."
Follow us
