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Angels-Rangers Preview

May 23, 2016 - 8:53 PM When they last met in Arlington three weeks ago, Rougned Odor and Derek Holland had a major impact on the Texas Rangers' series win over the Los Angeles Angels.

While Odor might not be available by the end of this home set, he and Holland will try to help the Rangers claim their season high-tying fourth straight victory Monday night.

Odor homered to help Texas split a four-game series at Angel Stadium in early April before going 7 for 13 when the club took two of three at home from April 29-May 1.

The second baseman hopes to continue battering Los Angeles pitching before the hearing on his appeal of an eight-game suspension for punching Toronto's Joey Bautista on Tuesday. If it is upheld, Odor would have to immediately begin serving the ban.

Holland stymied the Angels in the second game of the last home series, limiting them to four hits over six shutout innings in a 7-2 victory. The left-hander has surrendered three runs and seven hits over 12 1/3 innings to win his only two home meetings since 2013.

After allowing 16 runs over five innings in his two previous starts, Holland (3-3, 5.63 ERA) got back on track Monday when he gave up two over six in a 3-1 loss at Oakland.

"This was definitely better. A lot of positives I can take from this," Holland told the league's official website. "I just need to keep plugging away."

Holland will try to help Texas (25-19) capture its fifth win in eight meetings with Los Angeles and contribute to a pitching staff that had a 1.00 ERA in a three-game sweep at Houston. While he's 9-6 with a 5.22 ERA in 22 career starts against the Angels, the 29-year-old has gone 3-0 with a 2.49 mark in four matchups over the past two seasons.

Yunel Escobar has gone 3 for 6 with a home run and a double off him this season, though star sluggers Mike Trout and Albert Pujols are a combined 1 for 11.

Carlos Perez went 3 for 4 with a home run and a career-high five RBIs on Sunday when the Angels (20-24) salvaged a 10-2 home win versus Baltimore. They've averaged 7.3 runs in wins during a 7-3 stretch, but they've only scored more than three twice versus Texas.

Kole Calhoun has been a bright spot in the season series, going 11 for 24. Johnny Giavotella is batting .395 with four doubles and eight RBIs over an 11-game hitting streak.

"We want someone to take advantage of what Mike and Albert create, and right now that's Johnny," manager Mike Scioscia said.

Nick Tropeano (2-2, 3.30) has limited opponents to two runs or less in six of his eight starts. He hopes to get the run support he received Wednesday when he allowed one run over a career-high seven innings in an 8-1 home win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"He trusts his stuff," Trout said, "and that's what I like about him."

The right-hander, however, is 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in two starts against the Rangers.

Nomar Mazara went 2 for 4 with his sixth home run Sunday, while Ian Desmond, Ryan Rua and Bobby Wilson each had two hits in a 9-2 win over the Astros. Desmond has hit .340 with three homers, two doubles and 13 RBIs over his last 12 games.

Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo is back on the disabled list after the right fielder played one game in his return, suffering a strained left hamstring Friday against Houston. Choo, who had been out since April 9 because of a strained right calf, walked twice in his only at-bats before leaving. He didn't play the rest of the series, so the DL move is retroactive to Saturday.