Angels Not Very Kind to Rangers

Just because the Angels are purposefully distancing themselves from postseason glory to focus on a new season doesn’t mean they won’t smile whenever shades of October reappear.

On Wednesday, there were more than enough grins to go around.

Bengie Molina dazzled with his bat after accepting the ultimate award for defensive prowess and Francisco Rodriguez reprised his playoff role as the Angels routed the Texas Rangers, 11-5, on an autumn-like afternoon before 25,821 at Edison Field.

Playing before a half-empty stadium for the first time since September, the Angels again pounded Texas pitching. After being limited to three runs in the opener, the Angels had a combined 21 runs and 27 hits in winning the second and third games of the series.

“The first night we were getting into a new rhythm,” said Molina, who had three hits and drove in four runs after accepting his first Gold Glove Award during a pregame ceremony. “The last two days, we’ve played the kind of baseball we’re capable of playing.”

Rodriguez provided the emotional highlight, striking out Alex Rodriguez -- who only two innings earlier had become the youngest player to hit 300 home runs at 27 years 249 days by smacking a Ramon Ortiz fastball into the seats in right-center field -- while striking out the side in the seventh inning.

The crowd cheered the rookie right-hander from the moment he left the bullpen until he departed after finishing a two-inning appearance, his first of the season, in part to acknowledge that they hadn’t forgotten his five postseason victories. Rodriguez appreciated the gesture but is ready to move on.

“What I did was in the past,” he said. “I have to stay focused on this year. But the crowd made me feel great, awesome.”

Ortiz felt just the opposite when he took the mound to start the game. The right-hander said he was so lethargic that he didn’t know whether he would last one inning. He lasted five, yielding seven hits and four runs while striking out four to pick up the victory and improve to 10-1 lifetime against the Rangers.

The pitcher who surrendered a major league-high 40 home runs last season figured to be a good candidate to serve up Rodriguez’s milestone blast. Ortiz won his first two battles with the superstar shortstop, striking him out and getting him to ground into a double play before Rodriguez drilled a three-run homer.

Brendan Donnelly, Rodriguez and Troy Percival gave up only one run -- on Rafael Palmeiro’s 491st career homer, a solo shot off Rodriguez -- in four innings of relief.

The Angels pounded Texas starter John Thomson for 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings during his American League debut. Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus had two hits apiece and Brad Fullmer continued his hot start with a two-run home run.

It’s the first time the Angels scored 10 or more runs in consecutive regular-season games since July 7-8, 2001, against Colorado.

“After the first night, we’ve got the bats going,” said outfielder Tim Salmon, the only starter to go hitless Wednesday. “That’s good to see.”

The Angels didn’t just hit, they hustled. Molina, who sat out part of last season because of a hamstring injury, scored just ahead of a throw from center fielder Doug Glanville after tagging from third on a shallow sacrifice fly during the Angels’ fourth-run fourth inning.

“Believe it,” Molina said.

The Angels now move on to face a stiffer challenge in pitching-rich Oakland during a three-game series opening Friday, but judging from the way they handled the Texas hurlers, they could use the test.