Ryan Dempster got shelled by the Angels in his Rangers debut, allowing eight earned runs over just 4⅔ innings.
Ryan Dempster Struggles In Rangers Debut
The Rangers acquired Dempster at the trade deadline for two minor-league players, hoping he would solidify their starting rotation and help them hold off the Angels and Athletics in the AL West. So far, so not good.
Dempster got off to a rocky start, allowing a leadoff double to Mike Trout to start the game. Trout scored on an Albert Pujols sacrifice fly before Mark Trumbo launched a home run to make it 2-0 Angels. Dempster breezed through the second inning 1-2-3, and the Rangers scored five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Heading into the top of the third inning, Dempster held a 6-2 lead and was looking to cruise to his first Texas win. Instead, it all came crashing down. Los Angeles scored one in the third on a Pujols double. The wheels really came off in the top of the fourth inning. Kendrys Morales led off with a solo home run, Alberto Callaspo scored on a ground-out, and Torii Hunter drove in two more on a double.
Dempster allowed another run in the fifth on a Morales double before being replaced. In all, Dempster allowed eight runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out six. The good news, though? The Rangers pounded a parade of Angels pitchers on their way to a 15-9 victory, extending their lead in the West to 4½ games over the Athletics, and five over the now-third-place Angels.
For more on Dempster and the Rangers, visit Lone Star Ball. For all your Angels news, visit Halos Heaven.
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