Jul 7, 2008 9:36 pm US/Pacific
Hunter, Halos Hammer Rangers
ARLINGTON, TEXAS (AP) ―
Torii Hunter seemed to enjoy playing in front of his family and friends near his home town as the Angels traveled to Texas to play the Rangers. Hunter led the Halos to a 9-6 win with two home runs.
Hunter's first home run was part of back-to-back shots with Vladimir Guerrero that highlighted a six-run second inning.
Jeff Mathis also homered in the big second inning that gave the Angels an 8-0 lead.
Hunter spent the day with his family at his house in nearby Prosper -- which is north of Dallas -- before hitting two homers in a game for the second time this season.
"Baseball is all mental," said Hunter, who had an RBI single in the first and homered in the seventh. "Just coming home to my family, being around my brothers, it kind of relaxes you a little bit."
Hunter, who signed a five-year deal with the Angels in the offseason, had been struggling, driving in just one run over his past 15 games.
"I haven't been playing up to par like I should be," Hunter said. "I'm trying to get used to this team, my environment, the travel, the whole thing."
Ervin Santana (10-3), who was named an All-Star for the first time, allowed six runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out six in winning for just the second time in six starts.
David Murphy and Chris Davis homered off Santana in Texas' five-run fifth that nearly erased the eight-run deficit.
"In this park with their offense, you have to pitch well," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Their offense got them back in the game. Pitchers have their work cut out for them. I thought Ervin did a good job."
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 35th save, the most ever before the All-Star break. Atlanta's John Smoltz had 34 before the break in 2003.
Mathis hit a two-run homer that put the Angels ahead 4-0. After Maicer Izturis' run-scoring single, Guerrero hit a two-run homer that traveled 436 feet and extended the lead to 7-0.
Hunter homered on the next pitch -- a 442-foot shot that landed in the second deck in left.
"That was wind-aided," Hunter said with a smile. "Thank God for wind. I shocked myself."
That knocked Mendoza out of the game in favor of Dustin Nippert. Nippert pitched seven strong innings in the longest relief outing in the majors this season. He gave up one run and allowed four hits -- one of which was Hunter's solo homer in the seventh.
Murphy's three-run homer brought Texas within 8-4, and Davis' two-run shot cut Los Angeles' lead to two in the fifth.
"We were trying to chip away," Murphy said. "There was one big inning where the momentum swung our way. It just wasn't enough."
Hunter's homer made it 9-6 in the seventh, and the Angels had a chance to build on their lead in the eighth with runners on first and third with one out.
Izturis hit a grounder to first baseman Davis, who threw home. Rangers catcher Max Ramirez was bowled over by Mathis trying to score.
Ramirez, who appeared to be injured on the play, suddenly picked himself up and threw out Casey Kotchman trying to advance to third.
The rookie catcher stayed in for the rest of the game.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
