– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Willie Calhoun make sure that the attention heaped on a former Texas Ranger coming back home did not end soon after another former member of the franchise exchanged lineup cards before the start of Friday night.
Calhoun, who started with Major League career with Texas in 2017, had four hits and drove in a run, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-3 victory over the Texas Rangers inside Globe Life Field on Friday evening. Zach Neto and Taylor Ward each hit home runs for the Angels, while Tyler Anderson allowed just two hits and a run in seven innings on the mound.
Tonight marked the homecoming of Angels manager Ron Washington, who was managing a team in Arlington for the first time since his tenure as Rangers manager from 2017 to 2014, a stint that included World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. But it was Calhoun, who spent five-plus seasons with the Rangers, who stole the headlines as he singled in each of his last four at-bats. His first hit, a single to center in the top of the fourth inning, was proceeded by Neto’s two-run homer to left a couple of batters later to give the Angels a 3-1 advantage.
Calhoun, who bounced between the Majors and minors after being DFA’d by the Rangers in 2022, signed a Minor League deal with the Angels in the offseason and was just called up by Los Angeles on May 1. Since then, Calhoun is batting .365 with eight doubles, a homer run and five RBI in 13 games as the team’s designated hitter.
“I think a four-hit game, in general, feels good no matter who it’s against, but I spent five years with that organization and feel like I grew up here,” Calhoun said. “But ultimately I’m here not and I’m happy with this clubhouse here. It’s exciting.”
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Friday evening’s contest, with photos taken by ALOST staff photographer Ross James. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are XX pictures in total.
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