team pushed to its first playoff berth in more than two deca

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels had to sit through a long, depressing plane ride home after giving up Nick Swishers game-ending grand slam in Cleveland. Garrett Richards made sure the Angels disappointment didnt even last a day. Richards pitched six innings of four-hit ball, David Freese drove in two runs, and the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Friday night for their seventh win in eight home games. Josh Hamilton and Erick Aybar had RBI singles in the fifth inning as the Angels opened a six-game homestand with just their fourth win over the AL West-rival Rangers in their last 18 meetings. Richards latest outstanding start and a balanced offensive effort were an appropriate cure for the Angels, who lost four of six on their road trip -- capped by Swishers theatrics -- after a prolonged stretch of outstanding play. "Its a good bounce-back game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We had a tough game and a long flight, but we came back with a lot of energy." C.J. Cron homered in the third, and Hamilton and Howie Kendrick scored on Brad Snyders throwing error in the fourth inning as the Angels built a 7-1 lead against Joe Saunders, who remained winless in six starts for Texas. Richards (7-2) needed a career-high 119 pitches, but still struck out seven and didnt allow an extra-base hit while shutting down another opponent in his breakthrough season. He has yielded just two earned runs in 27 innings over his last four starts after giving up only Andrus third-inning RBI single to Texas. "It was nice to be able to get stretched out a little bit," Richards said of his record pitch count. "My arm feels good. As long as I dont give up many runs, its all right." Not everything went perfectly for the Angels: Mike Trout went 0 for 3 with a walk, snapping his 13-game hit streak, the second-longest of his career. The Angels steadily built a lead against Saunders (0-3), who gave up 10 hits and three walks while losing for the fourth time in five starts against his former team. The left-hander began his major league career in Anaheim and spent parts of six seasons with the club. "It wasnt my best, lets put it that way," Saunders said. "Honestly, it was kind of a battle from pitch one. I felt like I was just a tick off all night long. ... I made some good pitches and they still made me pay for it." Michael Choice homered and Elvis Andrus extended his hitting streak to 10 games for the Rangers, who have lost three straight. Texas had an early lead after Leonys Martin walked, stole second, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Andrus single in the third. Cron replied later in the inning with his fourth homer of the season, an impressive shot into the elevated right-field stands. Hamilton walked and advanced on Kendricks double in the fourth, and both runners scored when Snyder fielded Aybars grounder and threw it past catcher Robinson Chirinos to the backstop. Snyder has been an outfielder for most of a career spent largely in the minors, but he is learning on the job at first base for a club missing injured star Prince Fielder. "That was a big situation," Snyder said. "I feel terrible doing that to Joe, but Im going to keep working and try and pick him up next time." Freese then showed signs of emerging from his season-long slump with an RBI single, just the second run-scoring hit in 77 at-bats since May 25 for the longtime St. Louis third baseman. Trout and Albert Pujols walked and scored on singles in the fifth, and Freese drove in Hamilton moments later to chase Saunders. NOTES: Los Angeles recalled versatile INF Grant Green from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, and he replaced Pujols in the sixth inning for his first major league appearance at first base. Green batted .359 in 22 games with the Angels earlier this season, but was sent down for a lack of playing time. ... Trout struck out looking in his first two at-bats, leading to an animated conversation with home plate umpire Chad Fairchild. Trout leads the Angels with 73 strikeouts. ... The Angels are 11-4 in Richards starts this season and 28-29 in other pitchers starts. ... Ben Rowen, the Rangers submarining right-handed reliever, pitched 3 1-3 innings of one-hit relief in his third major league appearance. He is from nearby Rancho Palos Verdes. Detroit Lions Jahlani Tavai Jersey . -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. Detroit Lions Will Harris Jersey . The above paragraph could be rewritten, verbatim, with Marcus Stromans name in place of Romeros. After both men had disastrous outings in Tuesdays 18-4 mauling at the hands of the Tigers, its clear that neither is the best option to begin the season in Toronto. http://www.cheaplions.com/ . Its been a successful Games for Canada, which will finish near the top of the medal standings again. From repeat gold medal winners to multiple medal winners to undefeated teams to acts that define the Olympic spirit, there are many solid candidates who could be considered to receive the honour. Cheap Detroit Lions Gear . Grimes signed a $32 million, four-year contract to remain with Miami. The deal, which includes $16 million guaranteed, rewards Grimes for his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss almost all of the 2012 season. Discount Detroit Lions Jerseys . The 26-year-old Redditch, England, native played three of his past four seasons under Rennie with the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League.PITTSBURGH -- Languishing near the bottom of the NL Central a year after making the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldnt wait any longer for struggling left-handed starter Wandy Rodriguez to get it together. The Pirates designated the 35-year-old veteran for assignment Thursday, less than 24 hours after Rodriguez gave up six runs in 1 2-3 innings in a 9-8 victory over Baltimore. "In our mind we felt best served to cut ties because in my mind Im thinking, You know what? Ive seen guys of his ilk pitch backwards and recreate themselves. ... We didnt feel that was our best option," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Hes healthy his arm is healthy. He said it best, Sometimes you give everything you got and its not good enough." Rodriguez was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six starts this season. He spent time on the disabled list earlier in the year with a right knee inflammation. Though he insisted the knee was "OK" after his poor outing on Wednesday, Rodriguez allowed he was frustrated by his ineffectiveness. The Pirates plan to fill Rodriguezs spot in the rotation with either right-hander Brandon Cumpton or left-hander Jeff Locke, an unlikely All-Star a year ago. Cumpton is 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA in two starts with Pittsburgh this season and has been dominant at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he is 4-1 with a 1.35 ERA. Locke is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA at Triple-A. "Wevve got a really good, real challenging decision," general manager Neal Huntington said.dddddddddddd "Weve got the ability to make a change if it doesnt work or have another option come up if we face another injury while we probably will." Cutting Rodriguez will be costly for a team with one of baseballs lowest payrolls. Acquired in a trade with Houston in 2012, Rodriguez is scheduled to make $13 million this season, with the Pirates picking up $7 million of the tab. Rodriguez went 11-10 with a 4.16 ERA in 30 starts with the Pirates. Huntington acknowledged the move will certainly raise eyebrows in a clubhouse that began Thursday at just 19-26 and well back of front-running Milwaukee in the NL Central. Yet Huntington felt its one the team had to make. Pittsburghs starting rotation -- a major strength while the team pushed to its first playoff berth in more than two decades last fall -- has regressed significantly. The four starters not named Gerrit Cole are a combined 1-17 this season. Pittsburgh replaced Rodriguez on the roster Thursday by activating catcher Russell Martin from the disabled list. Martin hasnt played since straining his left hamstring against St. Louis on April 25. He will have to serve a one-game suspension for his role in a brawl against the Milwaukee Brewers last month and is expected to return to the lineup on Friday against Washington. 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