Rangers break out with Odor slotted atop lineup

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers' ever-changing lineup took on an unusual look Tuesday night, when Rougned Odor stepped into the leadoff spot for the first time in his Major League career.

The rest of the arrangement included Mitch Moreland batting second, Elvis Andrus in the sixth spot for the second night in a row and Leonys Martin dropping all the way to No. 8.

It worked on Tuesday night against rookie pitcher Drew Rucinski, as the Rangers broke out with an 8-2 win over the Angels. It was only the fourth time in nine games that the Rangers were able to score more than four runs.

"More than anything, the guys really dug in," manager Jeff Banister said. "They stayed patient when they needed to stay patient, and when they needed to jump on pitches in the zone, they jumped on them. These guys believe in what they are capable of doing, and they are confident. You can see it in the clubhouse."

Video: LAA@TEX: Chirinos clubs a three-run shot to pad lead

For all the spinning lineup changes, the no. 9 hitter did the most damage. Robinson Chirinos had a career-high five RBIs with a two-run double and a three-run homer. He is the first Rangers catcher to have a five-RBI game since Mike Napoli in 2012. Chirinos entered the game 1-for-13 with no RBIs on the season.

Andrus also showed the muscle of a No. 6 hitter when he led off the sixth inning with a home run. Andrus had gone 481 at-bats without a home run, at the time the longest active streak in the Majors. 

Video: LAA@TEX: Andrus cranks a solo shot to deep left

But Banister said it all started with Odor drawing a leadoff walk in the first. He stole second and scored on a single by Moreland. The Rangers followed that up with a three-run second inning. Andrus and Martin both stole their first base of the season that inning despite being in the lower half of the order.

"Any time you can jump out and score some runs early, you can see the energy in the dugout," Banister said.