The Texas Rangers cannot find a way to beat the Los Angeles Angels, their struggling rivals in the American League West.
The Texas Rangers fell flat in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers have now lost four of their last five games against the Angels. Now at 64-66, they also remain below .500.
A disaster at the plate
Not only did the Rangers not score a run, they nearly went without a hit.
Overall, Texas went 1-for-27 at the plate. Its lone hit occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning, when infielder Cody Freeman hit a leadoff single to left field.
The Rangers’ anemic offense ultimately buried them in a game that they could have easily gotten back into. It was simply not Texas’ night, and manager Skip Schumaker made that much clear after the game.
Schumaker tried to express the poor outing by his team in so many words, but the common term used to describe the Rangers’ day at the plate was “tough.” For Texas, this is a bad time to be producing such lackluster performances.
Missing chances
Given the Rangers' subpar standing, losses like these are simply unacceptable.
As the final month of the regular season gets closer, Texas still has not found its way back into the win column consistently, which makes series against struggling teams like the Angels much more important to win.
Yet, even when playing the team with the third-worst record in Major League Baseball, the Rangers cannot figure out a way to secure a victory. Schumaker talked about his team’s lack of execution, and he emphasized the understanding within the clubhouse of the critical nature of this juncture of the season.
Understanding that wins need to start coming and actually putting them together are two different things. Actions speak louder than words, and it is up to this team to show that it can manufacture better outcomes.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of all this for the Rangers is that the American League West Division is also incredibly obtainable. Despite a losing record, Texas is still just one game behind the Houston Astros for first place in the division.
After this series is over, the rest of the Rangers’ schedule is a mixed bag. Some opponents will be quite challenging, while others will be easier to beat. What remains true at this moment is that Texas has little room for error, and it must find a way to take this series from the Angels while the opportunity still exists.
