Angels Stay Hot By Defeating Rangers, 7-3, To Win 8 Straight

 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Erick Aybar hit a two-run home run early and eight Angels pitchers combined for a 7-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, giving Los Angeles its eighth straight win.

Los Angeles won for the 14th time in 16 games and moved 10 games ahead of second-place Oakland in the American League West with 16 games to play.

Aybar homered against Nick Martinez (3-11) in the second inning to put the Angels ahead 2-1. David Freese had a two-run single in the third and Kole Calhoun's RBI single in the seventh made it 5-1. Pinch-hitter Grant Green added a two-run single in the eighth.

Mike Morin (4-3), the fifth Los Angeles pitcher, got the win. He entered the game to retire Elvis Andrus with the bases loaded in the fourth and also worked a scoreless fifth inning.

Leonys Martin and J.P. Arencibia had solo homers for the Rangers.

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