TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -Torii Hunter batted cleanup in his Los Angeles Angels debut and quickly showed why.
Hunter barely missed a home run in his first at-bat Thursday when his liner sailed wide of the left-field foul pole. He soon singled and later added an RBI double in a 3-3 tie with the Texas Rangers.
“There was a lot of energy flowing,” Hunter said.
A Gold Glove center fielder, Hunter left Minnesota this offseason to sign a $90 million, five-year contract with the Angels.
On the mound, Ervin Santana allowed two runs and three hits in two innings for Los Angeles during its Cactus League opener. He is trying to rebound from a 7-14 record and 5.76 ERA last season, when he spent a month in the minors. The right-hander is slated to be the team’s fourth or fifth starter.
“He threw the ball real well,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “He had a real good fastball. He had a good breaking ball and a good changeup.”
Kason Gabbard gave up one run, a walk and struck out three in two innings for Texas.
“First time out, I think adrenaline was flowing,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “He certainly could hit the strike zone with more consistency than he did. He hung in there and got through his innings and he walked off the field good and healthy.”
Gabbard, who was 6-1 with Boston and Texas in 2007 with a combined 4.65 ERA, is in the running for a spot at the back of the rotation. The left-hander was acquired in the deal that sent reliever Eric Gagne to the Red Sox at the trade deadline last July.
Josh Hamilton, acquired in an offseason deal with Cincinnati, had two hits for Texas, including an RBI triple in the first off Santana. Ian Kinsler also had two hits.
Peter Bourjos, a non-roster invitee, went 3-for-3 for the Angels.
The game was stopped after nine innings.
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