ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Texas Rangers needed 10 innings Monday night to get their first lead against the Los Angeles Angels. Brandon Nimmo put them in front with a bases-loaded single to right. Jake Burger drove in two more later in the inning, and Texas opened its seven-game road trip with a 4-1 win at Angel Stadium.
The Rangers had 8 hits. Every one was a single. Five came before the 10th.
Texas improved to 60-59 with its fifth win in six games. The Rangers ended the night a half-game behind Houston in the AL West and 1 1/2 games ahead of the cutoff for the third American League Wild Card.
MacKenzie Gore handled 5 1/3 innings before the bullpen took it the rest of the way.
MacKenzie Gore Misses Bats In Return
Mike Trout got Gore in the first inning, sending a solo homer 418 feet to center for his 20th of the season. That was it. Gore allowed 4 hits and 2 walks across 5 1/3 innings. He struck out 9 and threw 103 pitches.
Los Angeles swung and missed 22 times against him. Gore had not topped 17 whiffs in a start this season, and only four starts in his career have produced more than Monday’s total.
His changeup did most of the work. The Angels missed it 12 times, and Gore finished 4 strikeouts with the pitch.
Gore has a 2.70 ERA over 23 1/3 innings in his last 4 starts. He has struck out 27 during that stretch.
The Rangers activated Gore from the paternity list Saturday. Gore and his fiancée, Alex, welcomed their daughter, Billi, on Thursday, and Texas gave him an extra day before Monday’s start. Texas needed the innings.
The Rangers used seven pitchers Sunday after their starter lasted only 3-plus innings in a 10-5 loss to Baltimore. With 10 games scheduled in 10 days, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said before Monday’s game that another short start would put more pressure on the bullpen.
“Trying to get Gore some length today is going to be huge,” Schumaker said. “On a long trip, that’s No. 1. [Ten]-game stretch, getting our starters to not go three-plus innings like we did yesterday is a big deal. So we have to not wear out our bullpen.”
Gore said familiarity with the opponents on the trip could produce more games like Monday’s.
“I think from here on out, every game, no matter who it is, is important,” Gore said. “I think these teams, we’ve seen them a lot, so there’s probably going to be some longer games like we had tonight. This was a gutsy win, a huge win in the first game of the series, and we come back and do it [again] tomorrow.”
Monday was also Gore’s first start since becoming a father.
“I know it was a meaningful start to him and to his family, and he’ll probably keep that ball and that lineup card forever,” Schumaker said. “So a special day for him.”
Texas Rangers Pitching Holds It At 1-1
Texas got even in the fourth. Ezequiel Duran reached with a single and later scored on Elias DÃaz’s single to center. Neither team scored again before extras.
The Rangers had their best chance in the seventh. Two runners were on when Corey Seager drove a ball toward the right-field wall. Wade Meckler tracked it down for the third out.
Texas kept getting outs on the other side.
Robby Ahlstrom followed Gore and retired 4 hitters. Chase Silseth and Tyler Alexander split the next 4 outs before Peyton Gray needed 7 pitches for a clean ninth.
Gray got the win and moved to 6-0. Los Angeles finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Brandon Nimmo Delivers In The 10th
The Rangers started the 10th with Nicky Lopez at second. Wyatt Langford walked against Luke Murphy, then Seager singled to fill the bases. Duran popped out.
The Angels turned to left-hander Blake Weiman for Nimmo. Nimmo went the other way for a single that scored Lopez.
Burger added two runs with another single, bringing home Langford and Seager for a 4-1 lead.
Murphy took the loss after recording one out. Nimmo and DÃaz each finished with 2 hits and an RBI. Langford did not have a hit but walked 3 times. Texas went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
Nimmo said the road trip becomes easier to handle if the Rangers keep their focus on the game in front of them.
“It is a big road trip,” Nimmo said. “… The only way that we can control our destiny is by winning. We’re not going to be able to win every game, but we’re going to need to win a lot more than we lose for the rest of the season. For us to make that not feel so big, you just need to break it down to [that] you can’t take any game for granted.”
Nimmo entered the night batting .353 against left-handers, second in the majors behind Miami’s Otto Lopez.
Schumaker had no problem with the matchup when the Angels brought Weiman into the game.
“I’m confident with any hand they throw at Brandon Nimmo. He’s so good,” Schumaker said. “But his numbers are real against left-handers. He sticks his nose in it, he’s in the fight, not afraid of a good slider or a good fastball against any lefty. It’s impressive.”
“There’s so many other things that he does inside the meetings, or inside the clubhouse, that people aren’t even aware about that uplift the whole team,” Schumaker continued. “It’s such an advantage to have Brandon Nimmo on our team. We’re really lucky to have him.”
Nimmo told The Dallas Morning News that the hitters had talked before the series about continuing to give themselves chances.
“We needed to keep putting pressure on and, eventually, let the dam break,” Nimmo explained. “Today, our pitching kept us in there, and the dam finally broke in the 10th inning.”
Jacob Latz handled the bottom of the 10th without allowing a run. He earned his 23rd save.
What’s Next For The Texas Rangers
Angels starter Reid Detmers gave up 3 hits and 1 earned run over 6 innings. He walked 4 and struck out 6. Los Angeles used seven pitchers and fell to 45-74, last in the AL West.
The Rangers began the series without Nathan Eovaldi. Texas placed Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list Monday with right posterior elbow inflammation.
Texas has three games remaining in Anaheim before traveling to Sacramento for a three-game series against the Athletics.
Left-hander Cody Bradford (0-0, 0.00 ERA) starts Tuesday’s second game against Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-6, 7.11 ERA).
First pitch is scheduled for 8:38 p.m. CT at Angel Stadium.
