ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers continued to struggle with consistency as they suffered a lopsided 13-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday at Globe Life Field, underscoring their challenges against weaker opponents even at home. The loss dropped the Rangers back to an even .500 record at 46-46 for the season.
Despite entering a favorable stretch of six consecutive home games against teams with losing records, including the Angels—who entered the series with the worst record in Major League Baseball—the Rangers were unable to capitalize. The defeat extended their losing record against sub-.500 teams to 16-20 overall and 1-4 specifically against Los Angeles. At home, the Rangers are 21-21 on the season.
The game marked a difficult night for starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, the Rangers’ high-profile offseason acquisition. Gore allowed seven runs by the fifth inning, including five RBIs credited to Angels outfielder Jo Adell over back-to-back at-bats in the fourth and fifth frames. At one point, Gore allowed eight of eleven Angels batters to reach base during an extended inning. His ERA rose to 4.72 after 19 starts, ranking among the higher marks for qualifying starters this year. Gore has managed six innings or more only seven times this season.
Manager Skip Schumaker acknowledged Gore’s struggles but expressed confidence that the young pitcher can rebound in the second half of the season. “I do think MacKenzie’s going to have a really good second half,” Schumaker said, noting that Gore has struggled with big innings but has the talent and stuff to improve.
Offensively, the Rangers were limited to just one hit through the first five innings for the second consecutive game and ultimately managed only five runs late in the contest. Kyle Higashioka provided a lone moment of resistance by homering in the eighth inning, temporarily preventing the Angels from tying their largest margin of victory this season. Higashioka further made history by pitching the ninth inning, becoming just the fourth player in Rangers history to hit a home run and pitch in the same game. However, he allowed two runs in relief as part of the Angels’ dominant offensive display.
The defeat came on the heels of a rally-filled 8-3 win over the Angels on Tuesday, highlighting the Rangers’ inability to build sustained momentum. Schumaker emphasized that responding after difficult games will be a key test for the team going forward. “Winning the series after a tough day like today, those are the days you come back and look forward to after a tough night,” he said.
The Rangers’ ongoing struggles at home and against lower-ranked teams complicate their pursuit of a playoff spot. With 16 of their next 20 games scheduled at Globe Life Field, especially in July, improving their home record is critical as the months progress. Currently, they have won just two of five games in this important stretch.
For now, the Rangers continue to hover around .500 and search for consistency, facing the prospect of falling further behind in a competitive division race despite flashes of strong play against higher-caliber opponents.