Teixeira's 12th-inning homer lifts Rangers over Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Mark Teixeira said he was simply doing his job.

"That's why I'm here," the Rangers' cleanup hitter said after his homer leading off the 12th inning carried Texas to a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

"I'm here to drive in runs and help my team win. Sometimes in close games, home runs are going to win it, and tonight was one of those nights. We didn't get a lot of baserunners in extra innings, so we needed a big homer."

Teixeira's shot deep into the seats in right field was his 18th of the season and came on a 3-2 pitch from Kevin Gregg (3-4), the seventh Los Angeles pitcher. Teixeira also had an RBI double.

"Gregg keeps his fastball down usually," Teixeira said. "He's got a good split and a nice little slider, so I just wanted to make sure I got something up.

"He threw a couple of good pitches early in the count, but I worked it to 3-2 and he left the fastball over the middle of the plate."

The Rangers denied unbeaten Angels rookie Jered Weaver his eighth win, with Weaver instead getting his second no-decision in his last two starts. Instead, Texas rookie Wes Littleton earned his first major league victory by setting the Angels down in order in the 10th and 11th.

Littleton, who has a sidearm delivery, has given up only one run in 12 appearances, spanning 13 2-3 innings.

"It's very big. It's my first win," he said.

Littleton (1-0) initially thought a high drive by Rangers' nemesis Vladimir Guerrero in the 10th inning was gone, but center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. made a rather routine catch.

"I thought Guerrero got me and golfed me out. It was a big relief," said the 23-year-old Littleton. "Seeing him when I was a kid and now actually pitching against him kind of got my adrenaline pumping a little bit."

Akinori Otsuka pitched the 12th for his 22nd save in 25 chances.

The Rangers rallied to win after squandering a late lead.

Juan Rivera drove Texas reliever Rick Bauer's first pitch over the left-field fence for a two-out, three-run homer to draw the Angels even at 6-6 in the eighth.

The homer was Rivera's 18th and the first allowed by Bauer in 52 1-3 innings since April 18, 2005, when he was pitching for Baltimore and gave up a two-run shot to Detroit's Dmitri Young. Bauer's was the longest current homerless streak in the majors.

He had just replaced Ron Mahay, who walked Garret Anderson, the only batter he faced after taking over for Kevin Millwood. The Rangers' starter had given up four runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings, including a solo homer and an RBI double by Guerrero.

The 23-year-old Weaver allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. He had become the first rookie to win his first seven major league starts since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

"I don't know if he was as fine with some of his pitches tonight, but he gave us a chance to win," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Weaver. "He maybe wasn't as crisp as other times, but that's a tough ballclub and he did a good job."

The last pitcher to win his first eight decisions as a starter was Livian Hernandez of Florida in 1997.

Guerrero's 22nd homer, on Millwood's first pitch to him in the fourth inning, extended his long string of success against Texas. Guerrero has gotten at least one hit against the Rangers in all 43 games he's played against them, the longest such streak against an opponent in the majors for at least 50 years.

The Angels' slugger added an RBI double off Millwood in the eighth, and is hitting .441 lifetime against Texas with 15 homers and 35 RBI. Guerrero's streak is by far the longest against one team since divisional play began in 1969, surpassing Ken Griffey Jr.'s mark of hitting in 35 consecutive games for Seattle against Cleveland from 1992-96.

The Rangers built a 3-1 lead against Weaver in the sixth on consecutive triples by Blalock and Mark DeRosa, and Ian Kinsler's RBI single.

Texas opened a 6-2 lead in the seventh, when reliever Hector Carrasco gave up four hits without retiring a batter. Carlos Lee singled in one run and Teixeira doubled in another against Carrasco, then Blalock drove in a run with an infield single against J.C. Romero. ^Notes:@ The Rangers released RHP John Wasdin, a spot starter and reliever for them the past three years. Wasdin was 2-2 with a 5.10 ERA in nine appearances this season, including five starts. ... Angels 2B Adam Kennedy singled in the 12th to extend his career-best hitting streak to 17 games.