ANAHEIM -- After losing three games in a row and nine of 12, Angels manager Joe Maddon decided to mix things up on Sunday, moving veteran slugger
\"These guys have really come up big, and J-Up, even though he had just the one hit, you put up a point on the first swing and you can see what that does to the pitcher,\" said Maddon, who won his 1,300th career game as a manager. \"He pitched relatively well after that, but gave up five \\[runs in the first\\]. So again, J-Up is doing his job. He got us going.\"\n\nWith his leadoff blast off right-hander Dane Dunning, Upton became the first Angels player with a leadoff shot in consecutive games since Mike Trout did it from Sept. 8-9, 2012. He's gone 5-for-14 with four runs and four RBIs over his last three games atop the lineup.
The homer helped the Angels to their second straight high-scoring win over the Rangers, as the offense is starting to get going -- even with Trout on the injured list and fellow star
It was an all-around solid performance from the offense, as the top seven batters in the order each had at least one hit and one run scored, and only catcher Drew Butera didn’t record a hit. Rendon also contributed with an RBI double in the fifth, showing signs of breaking out of his slump. Other former backups who have been thrust into more important roles recently also performed well, as center fielder
As Maddon noted, the offensive output also proved to be important, as the Angels nearly blew a 9-1 lead that was keyed by a four-run fifth inning. The Rangers charged back for two runs in the sixth and five runs in the eighth to make it a one-run game. Closer