ARLINGTON, Texas -- Albert Pujols almost had consecutive triples after going more than four years without one. Eric Bailly Manchester United Jersey . Instead, he ended up with a chance to complete the first cycle of his career. The Los Angeles slugger tried a little too hard in both cases and missed out. It didnt keep the Angels from adding to their big lead in the AL West. Pujols tripled to open the scoring and finished a home run shy of the cycle, rookie Matt Shoemaker had another strong start, and the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 8-1 on Wednesday night. "It would have been pretty cool," Pujols said. "Its not easy. Thats why you dont see it every day. Obviously, everybody says the hardest part is to get that triple, which I believe it is." The AL West-leading Angels (90-55), who are nine games up on Oakland after the As lost at the Chicago White Sox, were the first team in the majors to 90 wins with their season-high seventh straight victory. Shoemaker (15-4) set a franchise rookie record for victories by winning his sixth straight decision. Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch (4-10) has just one win in 12 starts. Pujols first-inning triple made Mike Trout the sixth player in major league history to score 100 runs in three seasons before turning 23. It was the first triple for Pujols since July 10, 2010, when he played for St. Louis. In the third, Pujols fly ball eluded a leaping Michael Choice and caromed off the right-field wall. Choice ran the ball down and threw to Elvis Andrus, who tagged Pujols trying to scramble back to second. Pujols, who playfully tugged at Andrus cap as he jogged back to the dugout, had a single in the fifth. The Rangers intentionally walked Trout to load the bases for Pujols in the sixth, but he grounded into an inning-ending double play. Pujols reached on a throwing error by Andrus and scored in the eighth, and then admittedly was swinging for the fences when he grounded out to Andrus in the ninth. "I think everybody was aware," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "In the big picture, I dont think its one that he needs on his shelf, but it would have been nice to see." Shoemaker, who broke a rookie wins record tied most recently by Frank Tanana in 1974, came close to pitching at least seven shutout innings for the fourth time in five starts. He came out after giving up Ryan Ruas RBI single with two outs in the seventh. "I think Shoe is one of the big reasons why were even contending," Scioscia said. "When he got his chance to get in the rotation, to do what he did is spectacular for us." SELECT 100 CLUB Trout reached base three times and scored twice to push his season total to 101 runs. The other five players to score 100 runs in three seasons before turning 23 were Mel Ott, Buddy Lewis, Ted Williams, Vada Pinson and Alex Rodriguez. REVOLVING DOOR Interim Texas manager Tim Bogar has used at least five pitchers in four of his five games since replacing Ron Washington. He made three pitching changes in a seven-run eighth inning for the Angels on Tuesday. He used six pitchers for the first time Wednesday, and the Angels scored five runs in the last three innings. TRAINERS ROOM Angels: Josh Hamilton missed his sixth consecutive game with a sore right shoulder. He took two more injections Tuesday and woke up sore Wednesday. He hopes the injections will lead to dramatic improvement in the next couple of days, but there is no timetable for his return. Rangers: C Robinson Chirinos could be back behind the plate Thursday night after missing nine games with neck stiffness. ... Bogar says it is likely OF Jake Smolinski (broken left foot) will play again this season. He has been on the disabled list since July 25. UP NEXT Angels: RHP Cory Rasmus (3-1, 2.81) will make his third straight start after 24 relief appearances to start the season. He threw three scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over Oakland on Aug. 30 before giving up two runs in 1 2-3 innings in an 8-5 win over Minnesota last week. Rangers: Rookie RHP Nick Martinez (3-10, 5.03) is looking for his first win at home after nine previous appearances, including seven starts. He has a 6.81 ERA at home. He has allowed six hits in five straight starts, the second Texas pitcher to do that (Charlie Hough in 1982). Jesse Lingard Manchester United Jersey .com) - The Buffalo Bills will return to the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday when they welcome the upstart Cleveland Browns to town. Scott McTominay Manchester United Jersey . Doug Fister allowed two runs over seven innings and Washington hit three solo homers in a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. http://www.jerseymanchesterunitedsoccer.com/womens-andreas-pereira-manchester-united-jersey/ .Y. - DeMarre Carroll felt as though he couldnt miss in the second quarter as he outscored the Brooklyn Nets 14-13 all by himself.STIRLING -- She has taken to the catwalk at a New York fashion show, has been lined up for a photo shoot by a British tabloid and is possibly the most famous sportswoman in Scotland. The words "curling" and "celebrity" arent usually found in the same sentence, but brilliant play on the ice is ensuring plenty of exposure off it for British womens skip Eve Muirhead. "I enjoy it, although its a bit weird," Muirhead said of her glamorous life away from the rink. "But were trying to get the sport to grow because its a sport that needs to grow. So its always good to promote curling." Already a world and European champion with Scotland, Muirhead is heading to Februarys Winter Olympics in Sochi looking to fill the gap on her curling resume. And for the second straight games, she and her British teammates will be the favourites for the gold medal. Muirhead was only 19 when she competed at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. She lost five straight games after a good start and failed to make it past the round-robin stage. "Ive looked back at it and we didnt train hard enough, didnt practice hard. We just werent good enough," Muirhead said after a practice session at the Scottish Institute of Sport training base in Stirling. "I think I learnt from that, and for this cycle Ive really stepped up everything. Its actually probably the best thing that could have happened to me." Womens curling in Britain has undergone a generational shift since Rhona Martin, a 36-year-old from a small Scottish village, led Britain to an unlikely gold medal in Salt Lake City in 2002. More than 6 million Britons stayed up into the early hours to watch Martins team, labeled the "housewife superstars" by the British media, become overnight sensations in a sport many previously didnt even know existed. Eleven years later, things have changed dramatically. British curling at the highest level has gone professional, a fund of 5 million pounds ($8.2 million) is dedicated to the countrys Olympians over four years, and there is as much gym work as practice on the ice. Sports psychologists -- in Britains case, a former Bolshoi ballet dancer -- and strength and conditioning coaches are part of the support staff. The curlers themselves are much younger. Muirhead and teammates Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton are all between 22 and 24, making them the youngest womens team in Sochi. "Its nice to see a young aspect to the sport, to show that you do need to be fit to be a curler," Sloan told The Associated Press in an interview. "Curling had the image of being an older sport but I think with us being young and showing we enjoy itt so much, thats a healthy thing and hopefully we are going to get people to try it after the Olympics. Diogo Dalot Manchester United Jersey. " Muirheads team is being held up as Britains best chance of gold in Sochi, more than a decade after Martin delivered what is referred to in Britain as the "Stone of Destiny" in the 2002 Olympic final against Switzerland. Muirhead was just 12 at the time, and recalls being allowed to stay up late on a school night to watch the final. No surprise given her father, Gordon, won a world championship in curling in 1999. "It was fantastic," she said. "Ever since that moment, you want to go there and do it yourself, dont you? It inspired me, for sure." That night also changed Martins life. She was shocked to see flag-waving crowds greet her at Heathrow Airport on her return to Britain. She was congratulated by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, awarded an honour by Queen Elizabeth II and invited to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. Martin was stopped everywhere she went and was hounded by the tabloid newspapers. "Football (journalists) were even phoning, asking me: What do you think of the new Scotland manager? recalled Martin, who keeps her gold medal "in a cupboard, in its box, with the toilet rolls." That level of media glare is something Muirhead can expect, too, if she returns home from Russia with a gold medal. Britain doesnt have a strong tradition at the Winter Olympics, winning only nine golds since the first games in 1924. As a result, every champion is feted as a national icon. Muirhead is used to coping with pressure and attention. A youth champion in bagpiping and golf, she turned down golf scholarships from a number of American universities to take up curling, with her accomplishments on the ice tracked from the moment she won the first of her four world junior titles, in 2007. Off the ice, Muirhead was invited by actor Sean Connery to stride the catwalk at the annual Scottish-themed "Dressed to Kilt" fashion show in New York in 2010 and has a photo shoot scheduled with The Sun newspaper in Britain. She is a big name in Canada, curlings stronghold, and even bigger in Scotland, where the sport originated. Muirhead remains level-headed, though -- in her own words, a "normal down-to-earth person." And with Martin now coach of the British womens team, Muirhead couldnt have a better mentor in her corner heading into Sochi. "Obviously there is a target on their back." Martin said. "They are world champions so thats just reality. They know every single game there will be tough but . they have the potential. Its just about performing on the right day." ' ' '