Angels make it interesting in 6-5, walk-off victory against Texas

Reporting from Tempe, Ariz. — There is rarely much in the later innings of exhibition games to hold the interest of fans, as the field is usually filled with minor leaguers wearing defensive linemen numbers. But that was hardly the case Sunday at Tempe Diablo Stadium, where the Angels rallied for a 6-5, walk-off victory over the Texas Rangers.

Angels reliever Jason Isringhausen, a 39-year-old with 300 career saves but hardly a lock to make the club with a 9.82 earned-run average in four games, blew a two-run lead in the ninth when he gave up a two-run double to Greg Miclat.

Conor Jackson followed with an RBI single off Jeremy Berg that gave the Rangers a 5-4 lead, but the inning ended when Peter Bourjos, the Angels’ regular center fielder who played the entire game Sunday, sprinted to the wall and made an over-the-shoulder catch of Dusty Brown’s long drive.

“That was incredible,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He went from here to Scottsdale to get that one.”

Bourjos, who made a similar catch on Jackson’s sixth-inning drive to the warning track, then singled, took second on Kole Calhoun’s RBI single and scored the winning run on Randall Grichuk’s RBI single, avoiding Brown’s tag with a daring hook slide into the plate.

“I didn’t even think about it,” Bourjos said of his aggressive slide. “If I come in hesitant, I’d probably get hurt.”

Brown had tied the score at 2-2 in the eighth with a two-run homer off Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen, but the Angels regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth when Jorge Cantu, trying to make the team as a utility player, hit a two-run homer to left.

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols also hit his team-leading fourth homer of the spring, a laser to left on an 0-and-2 pitch from Rangers starter Mark Hamburger.

“Oh my God, that was a 2-iron,” Scioscia said. “That was unbelievable.”

Morales plan

After collecting five hits, including a home run, in nine at-bats in three straight games, slugger Kendrys Morales, who is poised to return after missing 11/2 years because of a broken left ankle, took a scheduled day off Sunday, saying he “feels good, no problems.”

The designated hitter will begin another busy stretch Monday that should push him to the 45 at-bat range by the end of exhibition play. The team believes he will need 40 to 50 spring at-bats to be ready to open the season in Anaheim.

Morales, who got 12 at-bats in minor league games, is scheduled to play Monday against Colorado and in a minor league game Tuesday. Cincinnati has agreed to use the DH on Wednesday in Goodyear, so Morales will play against the Reds, and he is expected to play at least two of the team’s final four Cactus League games.

Morales could get five or six at-bats in the Freeway Series, serving as DH for one game in Anaheim and pinch-hitting in the two games in Dodger Stadium, or he could remain in Arizona to play in two or three minor league games.

“His swing is there, his bat speed is there,” Scioscia said. “It’s a matter of timing and just getting acclimated to hitting the baseball, which is something he’s done all his life. Right now, I think if you ask him how he feels, it’s not much different than probably when he was swinging the bat in early 2010.”

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