Donovan Walton scored on second baseman Justin Foscue’s throwing error in the bottom of the ninth and the Los Angeles Angels completed their first three-game series sweep of the season with a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday in Anaheim, Calif.
Walton entered as a pinch runner for Jorge Soler, who singled against Gavin Collyer (1-1) with one out and moved to second when Jo Adell was hit by a pitch. Oswald Peraza then grounded into a potential double play, but Walton scored on Foscue’s errant throw to first baseman Jake Burger.
Starter Reid Detmers turned in a dominant performance for the Angels, who have won three straight for the first time since April 4-6.
Detmers allowed one hit — Burger’s leadoff homer in the second inning — while striking out a career-high 14 batters with zero walks over eight innings.
Detmers threw 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes and retired a career-high 21 straight batters after Burger’s homer.
Sam Bachman (1-0) replaced Detmers to start the ninth inning and escaped a two-out, bases-loaded jam when Burger struck out.
MacKenzie Gore matched Detmers over six innings, giving up one run on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Burger provided the Rangers’ lone run with a leadoff homer in the second inning, when he deposited a 1-0 changeup over the center field wall for his 10th homer of the season.
The Angels pulled even in the third inning after Sebastian Rivero and Adam Frazier drew consecutive one-out walks. Gore struck out Zach Neto before Rivero scored on Mike Trout’s single to right field.
Los Angeles put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh against Jakob Junis, who maintained the tie when Rivero grounded out to third.
The Rangers struggled to make contact against Detmers, whose 14 strikeouts are the most by an Angels pitcher since Andrew Heaney accomplished the feat on Aug. 20, 2019, also against the Rangers.
The Angels played without first baseman Nolan Schanuel (left calf tightness) and catcher Logan O’Hoppe (head). Josh Jung (left shoulder soreness) was unavailable for Texas.
