Angels, C.J. Wilson bounce back to defeat Rangers, 4-2

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It was the baseball equivalent of hooking a tee shot into the woods, taking a mulligan and hitting a 280-yard drive down the middle of the fairway.

C.J. Wilsongot a do-over Saturday, just 12 hours after taking the loss in a rain-shortened start Friday night, and the Angels’ left-hander nailed it, subduing baseball’s best offense for 5 2/3 innings and silencing a hostile Ballpark in Arlington crowd during a 4-2 Angels victory.

The former Rangers ace, booed loudly in his old home park, gave up two runs and five hits, Mark Trumbo hit a two-run home run and sparked a decisive two-run rally with a walk, and four relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless innings, as the Angels rebounded from Friday night’s ugly 10-3 loss and evened the series against their American League West rivals.

“I got a dry run [Friday] to see what the fans would be like, and I collected some colorful insights on my career,� said Wilson, who signed a five-year, $77.5-million deal with the Angels in December. “There’s little kids in the stands … you wouldn’t believe the things they were saying.

“You guys should stick a microphone out there and listen to it and make a transcript of that. It would be very interesting. You do everything you can to de-personalize it. You’re not going to go out there and pitch with headphones on. You hear it, but you just tune out.�

Wilson became the first pitcher in franchise history and first big leaguer since Texas’ Aaron Myette in 2002 to start games on consecutive days after a 1-hour 56-minute rain delay in the first inning Friday ended his start after 22 pitches. Wilson gave up three infield singles and was charged with four earned runs.

He looked a little shaky early Saturday, walking Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus to open the first, but he struck out the game’s hottest hitter, Josh Hamilton, and got Adrian Beltre to bounced into an inning-ending double play.

Wilson gave up only one hit before hitting Mike Napoli with a pitch and giving up two-out singles to Brandon Snyder and Craig Gentry for a run in the fifth. Hamilton hit his major league-leading 18th homer, a solo shot to right, to tie the score, 2-2, in the sixth, but Wilson also struck out Hamilton in the fourth.

“I can’t say enough about what C.J. did,� Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He pitched his heart out. He went deep into the game against a lineup that’s really swinging the bat well.�

Trumbo gave the Angels a 2-0 lead in the fourth when he followed Torii Hunter’s two-out walk with a two-run homer off the facing of the second deck in left field, his fifth of the season.

Texas tied it with runs in the fifth and sixth, but Trumbo opened the seventh with a walk, and Howie Kendrick surprised Rangers third baseman Michael Young, who was playing back on an 0-and-1 pitch, with a bunt single.

“I didn’t think he’d risk fouling off a bunt and giving himself a two-strike count,� Young said. “I was in with no strikes and scooted back with one strike. He couldn’t have rolled it out there any better.�

Rangers Manager Ron Washington summoned right-hander Alexi Ogando, who had not given up a hit to a right-handed hitter in 28 at-bats this season. Peter Bourjos ended that streak with a bunt single to load the bases.

Pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales hit a sacrifice fly to left for a 3-2 lead, catcher John Hester, making his Angels debut after Friday’s promotion from triple A, reached on an infield single to load the bases, and Mike Trout hit a sacrifice fly to right for a 4-2 lead.

Angels reliever David Carpenter (1-1) got Snyder to fly out with the bases loaded to end the sixth, Jordan Walden threw a 1-2-3 seventh, Ernesto Frieri got five outs in the eighth and ninth, and Scott Downs struck out David Murphy to end the game, as the Angels moved to within seven games of Texas.

“It was a great bounce-back win,� Wilson said.

[email protected]

twitter.com/MikeDiGiovanna