Gallo HR ends power drought, Rangers quiet Angels' bats, 6-1

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joey Gallo circled the bases after the hardest hit of the season for the Texas slugger ended the longest home run drought of his career at 20 games.

“I forgot what to do, honestly,” Gallo said. “I was running around the bases, I don't even know. Do I high-five people? I forgot all my signature moves.”

Maybe he should teach a few to Nick Solak, who went deep twice to join a logjam for the AL lead in homers at seven. Gallo's two-run shot was the early tiebreaking blow in the Rangers' 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

“He's got pop,” Gallo said of Solak after the Rangers stopped a second four-game losing streak, their longest of the season. “It's good to see him finally using it and hitting it out of the ballpark.”

Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 with a strikeout as the LA designated hitter a day after getting the win, scoring three runs and driving in two while becoming the first home run leader to start as a pitcher since Babe Ruth a century ago.

Gallo extended the longest current on-base streak in the major leagues to 23 games with a first-inning walk. It's the deepest season-opening run for Texas since Ian Kinsler reached in the first 25 games of 2008.

But the 2019 All-Star's power slump had reached 88 plate appearances without even one extra-base hit before Gallo pulled a 114.3 mph liner down the line in right field off José Quintana to break a 1-1 tie in the third.

“You could see the relief,” manager Chris Woodward said. “You could see the kind of ... finally, not only an extra-base hit but a homer. I feel like he's done a really good job, even though he hasn't hit homers. It was really nice to get him some results.”

Mike Trout, who entered the game leading the majors in on-base and slugging percentage, had was 2 for 4 with a...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Gallo-HR-ends-power-drought-Rangers-quiet-16134269.php