Zach Neto led off the game with a homer and Jose Soriano combined with four relievers on a shutout as the Los Angeles Angels blanked the Texas Rangers 4-0 on Monday in the opener of a three-game series at Arlington, Texas.
The Angels snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their past seven contests. Texas, meanwhile, had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Soriano (9-9) pitched for his first time in eight days, having returning to the team from extended paternity leave. He outdueled Rangers ace Jacob deGrom by hurling 5 2/3 innings and allowing four hits and a walk while striking out six.
Los Angeles’ Logan O’Hoppe also homered, and Travis d’Arnaud had a pair of run-scoring hits.
deGrom (10-6), coming off a season-high nine days of rest, lasted five frames, surrendering two runs on three hits and two walks. He fanned seven. He is winless in five starts since July 28 and dropped his fourth straight decision.
The Angels got on the board immediately as Neto took deGrom’s first pitch of the game just over the left-center-field fence.
Los Angeles added to its lead in the fourth when Taylor Ward walked with one out, went to second on a two-out single by Luis Rengifo and scored on a single by d’Arnaud.
d’arnaud drove in the Angels’ third run with a double in the sixth, again plating Ward — this time from first base after Ward drew a walk from Texas reliever Luis Curvelo.
The Rangers threatened in the bottom of the sixth as a walk to Josh Smith and a single by Wyatt Langford with two outs chased Soriano. Los Angeles reliever Reid Detmers entered and struck out Corey Seager to stunt the rally.
O’Hoppe added a round-tripper in the ninth off Jacob Webb.
Kenley Jensen, the fifth Los Angels pitcher, finished off the game with a perfect bottom of the ninth.
The Rangers announced before Monday’s game that second baseman Marcus Semien would miss the rest of the regular season with a broken bone in his left foot.
–Field Level Media
