Loss to Texas hurts L.A.'s quest for best record
The celebration is over for the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels. They are in another race before the playoffs now, and have already missed a big chance.
One day after spraying champagne at home for clinching their third division title in four seasons, the Angels quickly lost a lead and dropped an 8-7 game to the last-place Texas Rangers on Monday night in Arlington, Texas.
The clubhouse setting was vastly different this time -- with no music playing and players scarce after the game.
While they already have the division title, the Angels (92-65) are still playing for the best record in the American League and home-field advantage through the playoffs. Their 92 victories remained the same as Boston and Cleveland, the other division leaders who were off Monday.
"Nobody's happy about losing a game anytime," manager Mike Scioscia said. "After you take the lead, or after a run, to keep the momentum, it's important for that pitcher to put up a zero. And we weren't able to do that."
After a sluggish first few innings against Armando Galarraga in his first major-league start, the Angels finally broke through with a 5-run outburst in the fifth -- only to see Texas regain the lead for good on Marlon Byrd's 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning.
"It was great to get the lead right back," Byrd said.
Los Angeles didn't get a hit until Maicer Izturis singled in the fifth. The Angels then scored 5 runs within a span of six batters to chase Galarraga.
Byrd's 10th homer made it 6-5, coming after Gerald Laird's leadoff triple off Ervin Santana (7-14).
"I thought his stuff was good. Obviously, the results weren't what we had hoped for," Scioscia said.
"Some pitches weren't where I wanted and that's what eventually hurt me," Santana said. "I don't feel like it's a step back at all."
Santana had won two of his previous three starts, allowing only 3 earned runs over 18½ innings.
Twins 2, Tigers 0: Minnesota's Carlos Silva (13-14) shut down Detroit over 7¿ innings in a loss that put host Detroit on the brink of being eliminated from the playoff race.
The defending American League champions are one loss, or a New York Yankees' win, from officially being relegated to watching this postseason.
Nick Punto's RBI single in the second inning and Jason Kubel's run-scoring single in the ninth was all the offense for Minnesota, which has won five of seven.
Orioles 3, Royals 2: Nick Markakis hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning, and host Baltimore completed a season sweep of Kansas City.
The Orioles went 7-0 against the Royals.