Angels victimized by a hit-and-run

A routine play, it wasn’t, but it was one Angels second baseman Taylor Featherston felt he should have made Saturday night.

With the score tied in the eighth inning and pinch-runner Ryan Strausborger on first after Mitch Moreland’s one-out single, Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus shot a hit-and-run grounder toward second.

Featherston broke to the bag to cover, slammed on the brakes and scrambled to his left in time to smother the ball, which scooted over his glove and into right-center field for a single that advanced Strausborger to third.

Rougned Odor followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center off reliever Joe Smith, the decisive run in a 2-1 Rangers victory that pushed the Angels 31/2 games behind Texas for the second American League wild-card spot and the Rangers to within two games of Houston in the AL West.

“It happened fast,” said Featherston, who is hitting .132 but has been a defensive asset. “I just remember stopping, going hard to my left, and the next thing I know, it was by me. That play needs to be made, for sure. You hold yourself to a high standard. Anything around me, I expect to at least knock it down and make a play.

“Joe did exactly what he needed to do, get a ground ball. I just didn’t catch it.”

Rangers left-hander Derek Holland threw eight strong innings, giving up one run and three hits, and closer Shawn Tolleson retired the side in order in the ninth — striking out Mike Trout and C.J. Cron — for his 29th save.

Angels starter Jered Weaver walked two and gave up Adrian Beltre’s RBI single in the first but escaped two jams en route to a six-inning, one-run, four-hit start. The Angels scored in the first when Trout tripled and came home on Cron’s dribbler to the mound.

Winning beats all

Huston Street has never had Tommy John surgery, but the Angels closer knows what he would do if he were Matt Harvey, the New York Mets pitcher who sparked controversy Saturday when he said he is reluctant to surpass a 180-inning limit in his return from surgery.

“I’d take the chance,” Street said. “It’s a complicated question. If someone is worth $300 million and they blow out and never earn $300 million, that’s one thing. The other side is, can you live with yourself knowing you could have helped your team win a World Series?”