The Texas Rangers scored four runs while the Anaheim Angels scored one run in ten innings.
Despite the fact that the Angels are among the worst teams in baseball, and indeed the team currently with the worst record in the American League, the Rangers came into tonight’s game winless at Angel Stadium in 2026 after getting swept by their divisional rivals up the road from Disneyland back in late May.
The Rangers only fared marginally better when last these two teams met in Arlington around a month ago with Texas claiming two of three against the Angels despite suffering a 13-1 loss to Anaheim in the middle game of the series, a game started by MacKenzie Gore.
Gore was on the hill tonight for the Rangers as they tried to inch closer to a positive record against the division’s basement dwellers. Two batters into the game and it was already 1-0 Angels as Mike Trout hit his 785th career home run against Texas.
Ultimately though, that first inning solo home run amounted to the Gore Inning (TM) as Gore settled in and didn’t allow another run through his 5 1/3 innings of work. The Angels did make him work a little as it took him 103 pitches to get to one out in the sixth before hitting the showers, but he finished allowing just the one run on four hits and a couple of walks with nine strikeouts.
Meanwhile, tonight’s starter for the Angels was Reid Detmers and he seems to enjoy alternating between being pedestrian and dominant against the Rangers. The last time Detmers took the mound against Texas he allowed five runs in four innings which seemed seemed to mean the Rangers were in for a struggle tonight.
Detmers didn’t reach dominance but he did hold the Rangers to a run in six innings on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts.
After the lefty starters left, we eventually had a battle of the bullpens. I’m loath to assume that’s a situation that favors the Rangers in any particular game this season but against Anaheim, it should be. Luckily Texas’ ‘pen held firm keeping the Angels off the board for the remaining 4 2/3 innings, not even allowing Anaheim’s Manfred Man to touch home in the bottom of the tenth.
As for the Manfred Man for the Rangers, Nicky Lopez scored the go-ahead and eventual winning run when the Rangers loaded the bases (scary, I know!) and got consecutive weakly-hit RBI base hits from Brandon Nimmo and Jake Burger. Burger’s hit, which drove in two, included Corey Seager scoring from second base where Seager decided to test the arm of Anaheim right fielder Wade Meckler.
Perhaps that was a bit out of spite after Meckler had committed robbery against Seager earlier in the game, reaching over the fence to take away a potential two-out, three-run home run in the top of the seventh with the score 1-1 that would have saved us all a little grief with the need for extra innings.
Nevertheless, Jacob Latz came in with a three run lead and worked around an 11-pitch walk to Trout but nothing else as the Rangers are again above .500 and have their first win at the Big A this year. It doesn’t seem like it needed to be that difficult but will be marked off in the win column regardless.
Player of the Game: I supposed I could highlight Elias Diaz for collecting a couple of hits including an RBI single off of Detmers to tie the score when it looked like the Rangers were about to waste a two on, no outs situation in the top of the fourth. Or Nimmo for the winning hit with the bases loaded.
Also, though, Robby Ahlstrom came in to clean up an inning where Chase Silseth had gotten into a little trouble with the game tied. Ahlstrom pitched another scoreless frame after that and hasn’t allowed a run since July 12 spanning 13 appearances.
Up Next: The Rangers and Angels will be back at it for some late night baseball with LHP Cody Bradford expected to make another start for Texas against RHP Ryan Johnson for Anaheim.
The Tuesday night first pitch from the Big A is once again scheduled for 8:38 pm CDT and will once again air on the Rangers Sports Network.
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