ANAHEIM, Calif. — Joc Pederson did not try to dress up what happened to the Texas Rangers in Thursday’s 7-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
Texas had 5 hits all night. None went for extra bases, and the Rangers came up empty with runners in scoring position. They lost three of four at Angel Stadium and headed north at 60-62.
“It wasn’t good,” Pederson said. “It was not good baseball at all on our part.”
The Rangers are a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers for the final American League Wild Card spot. Houston is two games ahead of Texas in the AL West.
Jacob deGrom was also gone after two innings Thursday because of right triceps fatigue.
Walbert Ureña Keeps Texas Rangers Off The Board
Texas got 2 hits in 6 innings against Walbert Ureña.
Ureña walked 2 and struck out 5. The win put the 22-year-old at 8-8 with a 2.67 ERA.
After that, José Fermin, Tayler Saucedo and Sammy Peralta each handled an inning without allowing a run.
The trouble with runners on base was not limited to Thursday. Texas went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position over the three losses that closed the series.
Thursday added another hitless night in those spots.
Pederson’s answer came after the Angels had the opposite kind of night at the plate. All nine starters had a hit, and Los Angeles finished with 15.
The Rangers have a couple of hitters going through long stretches without much production. Wyatt Langford is 7-for-58. Jake Burger has struck out 26 times since the All-Star break. Over the same stretch, he has 21 hits and walks combined.
Los Angeles scored twice against deGrom in the second. Four more runs came in the fifth against Jordan Montgomery.
Jose Siri knocked in another run in the seventh.
Mike Trout had 3 singles and drove in a run. It was his second three-hit game in as many nights.
Denzer Guzmán had 3 singles of his own with an RBI. Josh Lowe drove in 2.
Texas Rangers Leave Anaheim Outside Final Wild Card Spot
Texas entered the series with a postseason spot. Three losses later, Detroit owns the final AL Wild Card position by a half-game.
Angel Stadium has not been kind to the Rangers this year, either. Texas has played there seven times and lost six.
The Angels are 7-3 in the season series. Three games remain, all at Globe Life Field from Aug. 21-23.
Manager Skip Schumaker put the road results on himself after Thursday’s loss.
“We’ve got to figure it out,” Schumaker said. “It starts with me. I’ve got to start doing something different on the road. In-division especially, we have just not been good. We’ve got to switch it up somehow, and I’ve got to think of new ideas for that to happen. Because that series right there just can’t happen. Especially where we’re at in the season. We’ve got to fight back, and it starts tomorrow.”
deGrom also took blame for the loss after giving up 2 runs in his two innings.
“We needed to win,” deGrom said. “I take blame for tonight.”
Texas now goes to West Sacramento for three games against the Athletics. Kumar Rocker starts Friday against Gage Jump.
First pitch at Sutter Health Park is at 8:40 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
