ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The Los Angeles Angels bullpen was buzzing with activity on Sunday, and not just because the team needed some stout work from five relievers to secure a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers before a crowd of 42,076 in Angel Stadium.
The team's third straight win after a shaky 1-6 start was delayed for a few minutes before the fifth inning when a swarm of bees beyond the left-field fence sent relievers from both bullpens scrambling for cover.
The Angels were not fazed.
Justin Anderson replaced starter Chris Stratton with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth inning and struck out Shin-Soo Choo and Rougned Odor with full-count fastballs and got Elvis Andrus to line out to third to preserve a 4-2 lead.
Cam Bedrosian added a hitless sixth and Luis Garcia threw a scoreless seventh, the Angels backing each reliever with inning-ending double plays.
Ty Buttrey cleaned up Garcia's mess in the eighth, entering with the bases loaded and one out and getting Joey Gallo to fly to shallow right field, the runners holding, and striking out Asdrubal Cabrera looking at a 95-mph fastball.
Noe Ramirez retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the ninth, lowering the team's bullpen ERA to 1.53 in the first 10 games. The surprisingly strong Angels relievers have given up six earned runs in 35 1/3 innings, striking out 42 and walking 12.
Mike Trout extended his streak of games with a home run to four when he sent a two-run screamer over the left-center field wall in the sixth for a 6-2 lead. According to Statcast, the ball left Trout's bat at 113 mph, traveled 422 feet and, with a launch angle of 20 degrees, reached only 57 feet high at its apex.
It was Trout's fifth homer in four games _ a feat he had never accomplished in his eight-plus seasons _ and the second time he has homered in four straight games, his previous streak coming May 12-15, 2017.
Trout tied a club record with five homers in a series, a mark set by Vladimir Guerrero against Texas in 2004, Garret Anderson against Montreal in 2003 and Doug DeCinces against Minnesota in 1982. Trout also became the first player in American League history to hit five homers in his team's first four home games of a season.
Angels right fielder Brian Goodwin added another tape-measure blast in the seventh, sending a 453-foot solo shot into the batter's eye above the center-field wall for a 7-2 lead in the seventh.
Chris Stratton, making his second start for the Angels since his March 25 trade from San Francisco, put his team in a 2-0 hole in the second when he gave up a Nomar Mazara single and a two-run homer to Gallo that left the slugger's bat at 111 mph and traveled 441 feet into the right-field seats.
It was the fourth homer of the season for Gallo, who has actually hit more home runs (92) than singles (84) during his five-year career.
The Angels were not down for long. Andrelton Simmons led off the bottom of the second with a single off Rangers starter Shelby Miller, and Albert Pujols and Goodwin both walked.
Jonathan Lucroy drove in a run with an infield single behind the second-base bag, and Zack Cozart, who had one hit in 26 at-bats for an .038 average in eight games, was hit by an 0-and-2 fastball for an RBI and a 2-2 tie.
David Fletcher singled to right field to drive in another run, and Tommy LaStella's run-scoring grounder to second made it 4-2. Trout was intentionally walked to load the bases again.
After Justin Bour struck out, Simmons ripped a line drive that appeared headed for the left-field corner, but Cabrera, the Texas third baseman, made a backhand diving catch to save three runs.
