ARLINGTON, Texas — Cody Freeman‘s leadoff single in the sixth inning was the only hit the Texas Rangers managed Saturday night, and three Los Angeles Angels pitchers combined on a one-hitter in a 3-0 win at Globe Life Field.
Ryan Johnson worked 7 innings and allowed 1 hit, no runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He also hit a batter. The outing was the first time Johnson has completed 7 innings in a major league game, and the win was his first since July 19. Michael Fulmer walked 1 in the eighth, and Ryan Watson retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save.
Texas finished with 5 baserunners. Along with Freeman’s single, three Rangers drew walks and Jake Burger was hit by a pitch leading off the third inning. By the end of the sixth, Freeman had moved up to second base and been stranded there. No other Texas runner reached scoring position.
Texas fell to 64-66, 1 game behind the Houston Astros in the AL West. The Rangers still hold the final American League wild card spot.
Ryan Johnson Carries A No-Hit Bid Into The Sixth Inning
Zach Neto led off the game with a double to left-center field. Mike Trout brought him home with a bloop single for a 1-0 Angels lead.
Los Angeles added a run in the sixth. Trout led off the inning with a double, moved to third base when Vaughn Grissom lined out to right field, and came home when Moisés Ballesteros doubled high off the right field wall. In the eighth, Neto tripled to right field and scored on Grissom’s single.
Neto went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 2 runs scored. He had gone 5-for-6 at Houston two nights earlier.
Rangers starter Cody Bradford fell to 0-2. He worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed 7 hits, 2 earned runs, no walks, and 3 strikeouts. Cole Winn relieved him in the sixth and struck out the next two hitters to end the inning.
Bradford made his 2026 debut on Aug. 5 after missing all of last season following elbow surgery. He has not won a major league game since September 2024.
The teams traded double plays in consecutive half-innings. Los Angeles turned a 5-4-3 to end the Rangers’ third. Texas turned its own 5-4-3 in the fourth, and Corey Seager closed the inning by ranging up the middle on a ground ball and shoveling it to second base for a force out.
Texas Rangers Shut Out For The 10th Time This Season
The rotation has given Texas a chance, in Rangers manager Skip Schumaker‘s view. Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore, and Bradford started the three games of this stretch.
“It was just a tough offensive day up and down,” Schumaker said. “Freeman got the hit, but, you know, a couple walks mixed in, but just a really tough offensive performance. Johnson was really good. So a lot of pull-side ground balls, not too many hard hits, not hard contact, I should say. So, yeah, just a tough day at the plate.”
Saturday was the third time this season Texas has been held to 1 hit or fewer, the most in the American League. The shutout was the club’s 10th, which ranks fourth in the AL.
Texas has been shut out twice in its last four games and three times in its last nine. From July 5 through Aug. 12, the Rangers were shut out once in 32 games.
The Rangers have scored 2 runs or fewer in four straight games. They have done it in eight of their last 12. Saturday was the second time this month the Angels have shut out Texas, and it was the Angels’ 11th shutout of the season.
Schumaker said the lineup Texas ran out Saturday had enough up and down it to put runs on the board.
“I’ve said it before, it’s not lack of effort or lack of work,” Schumaker explained. “It’s just been lack of execution right now, honestly. It’s just part of the deal. They know it. They know where we’re at in the season.”
The Rangers get back to work Sunday with a chance to win the series.
“You definitely miss your third baseman that had, whatever, 800 OPS, very consistent hitter throughout the whole year,” Schumaker said. “JJ was having a very, very good year this year. To say it’s all on him is not fair. We have plenty, that lineup that we threw out there today, where there was plenty up and down that should have been able to put up some runs. And, you know, we just have some guys that, you know, aren’t feeling great at the plate right now collectively.”
“And then, you know, I’ve said it before, you hope that collectively you get hot soon because we’re going to need to,” Schumaker continued. “You got a stretch where we have to get going, and if we want to give ourselves a chance to play in October, I mean, the bats have to get going, and they know it. This is nothing that they don’t know. There’s a bunch of pros in there that have been there before, and so, again, it’s not lack of care or trying, but we’ve got to start producing here soon.”
Josh Jung is on the 10-day injured list. In 92 games, he has hit .294/.361/.441 with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs.
Before first pitch, the Rangers honored the 1996 team on the 30th anniversary of the franchise’s first playoff appearance. Players, coaches, staff, and executives from that AL West champion took part in a pregame ceremony, and 1996 Rangers Pitcher of the Year Ken Hill threw the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame catcher Iván Rodríguez.
Jake Burger Exits With A Left Wrist Contusion
Burger was hit on the left wrist leading off the third inning and left the game in the fifth with a contusion. X-rays were negative. Schumaker said Burger would see a doctor Saturday night.
Burger explained how he came in after the following half-inning, talked it over with the athletic trainers, and went down to the cage to see whether he could still swing.
“It’s pretty sore,” Burger said. “X-rays are negative, so that’s good news. It hit me right exactly where I had surgery last year. Fortunately, that wasn’t a bone surgery. So it was the tendon and the sheath. So obviously it’s going to be a little sore and it’s pretty swollen. I want to be in there every single day, you know, and when I come out of a game, I get frustrated with it. But, you know, it felt like with the swelling in there, it felt like my range of motion was just not there for the swing. So probably the right call tonight, you know, go to sleep tonight, get the swelling out, hopefully be in there tomorrow.”
Burger’s read was that staying in the game would have been more of a detriment to the team than coming out.
“Right after that defensive inning, came in here, kind of talked with Lucky and some of the athletic trainers, and we decided to go down to the cage and see how it felt,” Burger explained. “It just felt like it was probably going to be more of a detriment to the team staying in there and trying to gut that one out. It already feels better in terms of range of motion, so I can deal with a little soreness. Hopefully it’s just a little soreness and the range of motion is back tomorrow.”
Burger is hitting .235/.295/.416 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs in 122 games.
Up Next
The teams close the three-game series Sunday at Globe Life Field, with first pitch at 2:35 p.m. CT. Cal Quantrill (5-4, 3.13 ERA) starts for Texas against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-3, 5.81), who will make his first appearance since May 29 after being sidelined by shoulder inflammation.
Texas then opens a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The Angels have won 8 of 12 meetings with the Rangers this season.
