After halting a season-worst five-game losing streak, the Texas Rangers are seeking better times as they open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Arlington, Texas.
Texas scored just 10 runs during its skid. The Rangers were swept in three games by the Colorado Rockies and lost the first two of a three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Rangers stopped their slide with a 4-0 victory over the visiting Guardians on Wednesday night behind two-run homers by Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia and 6 1/3 innings of four-hit ball by Jon Gray.
Semien said rough patches are part of the deal over an MLB season.
“You play 162, you’re going to have stretches like that,” Semien said. “There’s a lot of ways to win a ballgame, but hitting the ball out of the ballpark is the way to do it, especially when Jon was so good (Wednesday night) and we got the back end of the bullpen.”
The defending World Series champions have never been below .500 during manager Bruce Bochy’s two-year reign. They have won eight times this season to avoid falling below that mark, including Wednesday.
Los Angeles has also been struggling as Ron Washington returns to Texas to manage against his former club for the first time. Washington guided the Rangers to World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. Both trips ended in defeat.
Washington compiled a 664-611 record with the Rangers from 2007-14.
The Angels defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night but it was just their ninth victory in the past 31 games. They are already 12 games below .500 and have the second-worst record in the American League.
Los Angeles completed a 2-5 homestand with a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday that saw the offense pound out 14 hits.
Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto and Taylor Ward all homered for the Angels. Willie Calhoun had three hits and Kevin Pillar had two for his fourth consecutive multi-hit effort.
“We just kept the line going from top to bottom,” Neto said. “That’s what we’re all about as a team. We just play the game right, and we get the rewards. When we do the little things right, good things happen.”
Pillar is doing a fine Mike Trout impression by going 10-for-16 with one homer, one triple, eight RBIs and five runs in a four-game span. Since joining the Angels after Trout’s knee injury, the 35-year-old is batting .455 and slugging .818 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 10 games.
Tyler Anderson (3-4, 2.92 ERA) will start Friday for the Angels against fellow left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-4, 4.39) of the Rangers.
Anderson defeated the Kansas City Royals on Saturday when he gave up three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Anderson was 0-4 with a 4.08 ERA over his previous five starts. He served up six homers during the stretch.
The 34-year-old is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) against Texas.
Heaney remains winless despite allowing just four earned runs in 18 innings over his last three turns. He has 17 strikeouts and no walks during the stretch.
The veteran hurler received a no-decision against Colorado on Saturday. He struck out eight in five innings and gave up two runs and eight hits, walking none.
Heaney, who turns 33 on June 5, has no decisions and a 3.86 ERA in three appearances (one start) against the Angels.
–Field Level Media