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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Frank Catalanotto would like to be an
everyday player, but for now, he's content to be the Texas Rangers'
best hitter off the bench.
Catalanotto had a pinch-hit triple in the ninth inning and
scored on Rusty Greer's fourth hit of the game as the Rangers beat
the Anaheim Angels 6-5 Wednesday night.
Catalanotto is 9-for-20 as a pinch hitter this season, 16-for-48
over the last two seasons.
|  | | Rangers starter Matt Perisho allowed four runs and four hits in six innings, struck out three and walked five. |
"The biggest thing about pinch hitting is to be prepared, know
the pitcher and be aggressive," he said. "I'm going to swing at
the first strike I see. It was a slider and I was able to catch up
with it and drive it."
Rangers manager Johnny Oates likes Catalanotto's approach off
the bench.
"Pinch hitting is a tough job," Oates said. "It's a
combination of mental concentration and not overswinging. It's a
very comforting feeling having him on the bench. We're glad we have
him."
The Rangers rallied to win after John Wetteland (4-3) blew his
seventh save in 33 chances by allowing an RBI single to Scott
Spiezio in the ninth.
Catalanotto hit for Royce Clayton and his one-out drive off Al
Levine (2-3) nearly sailed over the right-field fence. Catalanotto
thought he had a shot at an inside-the-park homer when the ball
bounced hard off the wall and toward the infield. But third-base
coach Jerry Narron held him at third.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia moved center fielder Garret
Anderson to first base to give the Angels a five-man infield. When
Luis Alicea flied out, Anderson returned to center.
Greer then singled down the left-field line on Levine's 3-1
pitch to drive in the winning run, giving him 16 game-winning hits
in Texas' final at-bat since the start of the 1995 season.
"With two outs and a sinkerball pitcher on the mound, I'm
looking for a pitch that's up," Greer said. "He was keeping the
ball down early in the count, but he got one up and I got a good
swing on it."
Rangers starter Matt Perisho allowed four runs and four hits in
six innings. He struck out three and walked five.
Gabe Kapler's two-run homer in the second off Scott Schoeneweis
put Texas ahead 2-1. Kapler has homered in three straight games.
Tim Salmon continued to pound Rangers pitching, hitting a
three-run homer in the sixth to narrow Texas' lead to 5-4. Salmon
has 25 homers and 77 RBI against the Rangers for his career, the
most by any Texas opponent.
Schoeneweis, making his first start since June 16, allowed five
runs and 10 hits in seven innings.
Schoeneweis was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 17
with a strained right rib cage and was activated before Wednesday
night's game.
Troy Glaus hit his 30th homer in the second to give Anaheim a
1-0 lead, tying Doug DeCinces' franchise record for homers by a
third baseman set in 1982.
After Kapler's two-run shot in the second, Texas added three
more runs in the fourth, one scoring on Schoeneweis's wild pitch.
Bill Haselman had a run-scoring double in the inning and Luis
Alicea drove in another run with an infield single.
Perisho's control problems cost him in the fifth. Kevin Stocker
and Mo Vaughn led off the inning with walks and Salmon pounded a
3-1 pitch into the right-field bullpen for his 21st homer of the
season.
The Angels lost the final two games of the three-game series
that concluded Wednesday night, and were tied going into the
ninth in the final two games.
"We're playing good ball," Scioscia said. "But there are no
points for being in ballgames. We've won more than our share of
close games early on. Sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your
way."
Game notes
To make room for Schoeneweis, the Angels sent infielder
Justin Baughman to Triple-A Edmonton. ... Kapler has a 10-game
hitting streak, one short of his career best. ... Texas continues
to play well at home. The Rangers have won seven of their last nine
at The Ballpark in Arlington. ... Greer is 8-for-15 in his last
four games.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Anaheim Clubhouse
Texas Clubhouse
Ouch! Pudge to miss rest of season with broken thumb
RECAPS
Toronto 8
Cleveland 1
Minnesota 0
Boston 0
Kansas City 7
Chi. White Sox 6
Oakland 6
Seattle 1
NY Yankees 4
Baltimore 1
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Detroit 2
Texas 6
Anaheim 5
Houston 3
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Milwaukee 4
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Chicago Cubs 14
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