ARLINGTON, Texas _ It wasn't necessarily pretty but the Rangers' magic number is down to two. The Rangers held off the Angels, 5-4, Tuesday night at Globe Life Park to win their 90th game of the season.
Both benches were warned during the seventh inning after Rangers pitcher Keone Kela's pitch sailed over Andrelton Simmons' head. In the eighth, Angels' reliever Brett Oberholtzer was ejected after he hit Elvis Andrus. Oberholtzer protested that he wasn't throwing at Andrus. Earlier, Angels' starter Daniel Wright hit Adrian Beltre and Jonathan Lucroy in the fifth inning.
A.J. Griffin was knocked out in the second inning after walking four batters, including two with the bases loaded as the Angels scored three times in the second to take a 3-1 lead. Griffin was charged with three runs on three hits and four walks. It's his shortest outing of the season for Griffin. Nick Martinez took over and pitched 31/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and a walk. At one point in the second inning, Griffin threw 12 consecutive balls (including a hit-by-pitch) before Martinez took over and threw three consecutive balls. After walking C.J. Cron to start the fifth, Martinez made a dazzling behind the back stabbing catch of a line drive from Simmons to double up Cron for a double play.
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