Even though the Texas Rangers are coming to the end of their seventh losing season in eight years, they may find comfort in little triumphs like forcing a ninth-inning comeback and witnessing a rookie guy get the game-winning hit.
When the American League West rivals wrap up the season on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, California, the Rangers will try to complete a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, coming off one of their more spectacular victories of a difficult season.
The Rangers (77-84) struggled to get going this season. Despite having a decent run of 21-16 games in their last 37 games, this improved run of play comes after 16 losses in 21 games, which effectively eliminated the reigning World Series winners from postseason contention.
Texas has been successful lately in defeating the Angels. Texas has won 12 of the previous 18 meetings including 8 of the previous 12. With four runs in the ninth inning, the Rangers rallied for a 9-8 victory on Saturday, securing a road series victory over the Angels.
After making an 11-pitch plate appearance and hitting a double with RBI, Nathaniel Lowe walked with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. After Los Angeles rookie right fielder Gustavo Campero threw a throwing error on pinch hitter Jonathan Ornelas’ two-run, game-tying single, he scored the game-winning run.
“They’ve played a great job of staying in the game,” stated Bruce Bochy, manager of Texas. “They just kept fighting after we were very skilled at it. The game was incredibly entertaining. At times, it was careless on both sides.”
Adolis Garcia, a right fielder with the Rangers, suffered a painful knee and will miss Sunday’s game. In 154 games, Garcia had a.224 average, 25 home runs, and 85 RBIs.
As the season comes to an end, the Angels (63-98) are having their worst season ever. Los Angeles has lost five straight games, is 1-8 in its last nine games, and is 12-34 since capturing two of three from the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium last month. This is after the team finished with 73 victories in Shohei Ohtani’s final season with the franchise.
In the third, Campero smashed his first career home run, a three-run shot, long before he made his costly throwing error. On Saturday, Logan O’Hoppe had four hits and Niko Kavadas also hit home run, but the Angels only had three of their 13 hits after the fourth inning.
Manager Ron Washington remarked, “They’re feeling the heat.” “They are experiencing pressure. It is visible to you. Really, there’s no justification. Since I’m not reading between the lines, I can say that. However, you can see those guys between the lines.”
On Sunday, Nathan Eovaldi (11-8, 3.96 ERA) will get the start for Texas, albeit it might only be a brief appearance. The Rangers lost 5-4 at Oakland on Tuesday despite the right-hander giving up four runs in seven innings in a no-decision. Since winning three straight starts from August 23 to September 4, he has struggled in his last three appearances, going 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA.
In 13 career appearances (11 starts), Eovaldi is 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA versus the Angels.
The Angels will debut rookie Jack Kochanowicz (2-5, 4.01 ERA), who is 2-3 with a 2.63 ERA in his last eight outings. Tuesday’s 3-2 Angels loss to the host Chicago White Sox saw the right-hander record his second career scoreless start after giving up three hits in seven innings and recording 14 groundouts. The game was called a no-decision.
In a 3-1 loss on September 5, Kochanowicz gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings during his lone career start versus Texas.