ANAHEIM, Calif. —
A trip back to Angel Stadium cures anything that might be wrong with Mike Napoli’s swing.
Napoli homered twice in yet another impressive game against his former team, Yu Darvish struck out 11 over seven strong innings, and the Texas Rangers battered struggling Angels starter Ervin Santana for a 9-2 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday.
Napoli, Yorvit Torrealba and Adrian Beltre homered during Texas’ five-run second inning, chasing Santana (4-10) after just 13 batters. Napoli, who had three hits in Friday’s series opener, added another homer off reliever David Carpenter in the third.
Although he returned to Anaheim enmeshed in a monthlong slump, the All-Star catcher just won’t stop beating up on the franchise that drafted him and then traded him to Toronto in January 2011 for Vernon Wells, the high-priced outfielder who has been a big disappointment for the Angels.
“When I come here and do well, it definitely feels good inside,” Napoli said.
Napoli has done a bit better than well in his return visits to the Rangers’ AL West rivals. Napoli has hit safely in 13 of his 14 games at Angel Stadium since the trade, with a jaw-dropping eight homers.
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MLB: Big win gets Rangers even with Angels
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Howe, Whatley shine at OU Showcase
Claremore High School seniors Bryce Howe and Matt Whatley caught the eyes of several NCAA Division I and JUCO scouts Friday in Norman.
Howe and Whatley, as well as Claremore’s Cole Weiesnbach and Cameron Smith, competed with the Bearcats — a competitive baseball team coached by Jenks’ Jeff Owens — at the University of Oklahoma Showcase. -
‘Staying close to home’
Home is where the heart is.
Claremore graduate Isaac Hollihan loves playing baseball and takes his academics pretty serious.
For the next four years, Hollihan will continue his baseball career a short distance from his Claremore residence at Rogers State University. -
TRACK: Tyson Gay healthy heading into nationals
For a little bit, Tyson Gay's first step tearing down the track made him wince and his next made him wonder: Would he ever be the same sprinter again?
The runner who captured three gold medals at the 2007 world championships. The runner who broke the American 100-meter record in 2009. -
Texas Longhorns men's track coach retires
Texas men's track coach Bubba Thornton is retiring after 18 years and 12 conference championships.
According to a statement from the school on Monday, Thornton and athletic director DeLoss Dodds mutually agreed to terminate the coach's contract effective Aug. 31. The Longhorns won this year's Big 12 indoor and outdoor championships and finished sixth at the NCAA outdoor championships. -
Daytona frontstretch getting $400M facelift
Daytona International Speedway is getting another facelift, this one considerably bigger than the last.
Three years after a complete repaving project, the famed track is overhauling the frontstretch to enhance the "fan experience.'' -
STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK: Rough ice affects play in Game 3
Teams try to avoid risky plays in the postseason that they might try in the regular season. And when the ice surface isn't smooth, even greater care is necessary.
Boston took that approach with less-than-ideal ice conditions during its 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks that gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night. -
STANLEY CUP: Rask shuts down Blackhawks, Bruins take 2-1 lead
The puck bounced off the post and rolled across the crease, away from the goal line. The red light flashed briefly, but replays would confirm that Tuukka Rask's shutout streak was intact.
For the last 122 minutes, 26 seconds of the Stanley Cup finals, the Bruins goalie has prevented Chicago from scoring. -
New $15M scoreboards planned for Jazz arena
Owners of EnergySolutions Arena are upgrading the home turf of the Utah Jazz with a new $15 million scoreboard system.
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NBA FINALS: Heat have no room for error versus Spurs in Game 6
They lost three times in three months in one of the most overpowering stretches the NBA has ever seen.
Now the Miami Heat have lost three times in five games.
So superb during the regular season, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat have to be something even more for the rest of the NBA Finals. -
NBA FINALS: Spurs' coach puts 'Pop' into news conferences
During his team's Game 3 rout of the Heat, Gregg Popovich was shown on TV talking to his players while they were in the process of burying Miami with a stirring offensive display.
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