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Angels try to string back-to-back wins together against Rangers

Apr 14, 2015 - 2:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Angels look to pick up a second victory in a row on Tuesday night when they play the middle contest of a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.

The Angels halted a three-game slide by winning Monday's opener 6-3. Collin Cowgill and David Freese both hit two-run homers in the fifth inning.

Matt Joyce and Kole Calhoun also knocked in a run for the Angels, while starter Matt Shoemaker had a rough start but responded to throw 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.

"That's a great outing and great adjustments by (Shoemaker)," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "Then starting by the middle of the second inning you saw his command."

Los Angeles has won 10 of its last 11 as the visitor against the Rangers.

Ross Detwiler, making his second start with the Rangers, allowed five runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. Detwiler was tagged for eight runs -- five earned -- in his Texas debut on Wednesday against Oakland.

"The whole inning, everything was up in the zone and out of the zone," Detwiler said of the fifth

Prince Fielder, Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus each had an RBI in the first inning of the setback, Texas' second straight and third in four games.

Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez hopes to carry the momentum of his excellent start to the season into tonight's encounter with the Angels.

Martinez began his second major league campaign with a 10-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, doing his part by hurling seven scoreless innings. He worked around four hits and a pair of walks while striking out five.

The 24-year-old has never beaten the Angels, going 0-2 with a 3.32 earned run average in four games (3 starts).

With Los Angeles in need of a fifth starter and Garrett Richards still recovering from a knee injury, right-hander Drew Rucinski will make his fifth career appearance and first start tonight.

Rucinski made his season debut on Saturday versus Kansas City, scattering three hits over two scoreless innings of relief.