The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the Anaheim Angels scored six runs.
I went to go pick up a pizza for dinner right down the road around the second or so inning with the game still scoreless. Despite the fact that Jacob deGrom was facing Jack Kochanowicz, when I returned to my home, I knew deep in my bones that the Rangers would be trailing.
Indeed, when my eyes scanned the score bug, it read 2-0 Angels.
Something went bad with the ingredients for this game and it never really stopped stinking
up the Big A. I guess Texas was due for one of these.
Keep in mind that the last time Kochanowicz pitched was back on July 10 against these Rangers and he allowed eight runs in 2 2⁄3 innings. Tonight, in his first outing of the second half, he didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning despite walking six batters. He didn’t make it out of the fifth inning. He also didn’t allow an earned run.
Even so, after deGrom allowed a two-run home run to Anaheim’s No. 9 hitter Kevin Newman, the Rangers tied the game on one of the weirdest plays I’ve ever seen with Anaheim right fielder Gustavo Campero failing to squeeze the final out on an lazy pop fly ball right in front of him in a bases loaded situation. It looked like something out of Angels in the Outfield but with the Halos on the wrong end of divine intervention.
In a 2-2 game, you could be excused for thinking the Angels had scored their flukish runs on a bolt out of the blue off of deGrom and that the Rangers would accept the gift from Campero and surge ahead to their seventh win in a row. Instead, Campero scored the go-ahead run the next half inning on a Zach Neto double.
But then the Rangers tied it again on a Josh Jung solo home run after Wyatt Langford was doubled off second base following a leadoff double. So, tied 3-3, this is where Texas would hit the afterburners, right?
Instead, the Angels scored three runs in the next half inning, including two more off of deGrom with one of those coming via another home run. Overall, deGrom allowed five runs in 5 1⁄3 innings in easily his biggest stinker of the season as he was virtually out-dueled by Mr. Scrabble-tiles-dumped-out-of-a-Crown-Royal-pouch Kochanowicz and his 6 ERA.
The Rangers had their chances to get back in it late but they ran into the misfortunate of having to have Joc Pederson in their lineup again.
In the end, the Rangers lost perhaps the weirdest game of the season — which is saying something — and saw their winning streak snapped.
At least the Astros lost.
Player of the Game: Man, I don’t know. The Rangers had six hits and drew seven walks but it seemed like every member of the squad did something to contribute to losing this one at some point. This is a game to flush and forget.
Up Next: The Rangers will try to put this one behind them and play a normal game of baseball in Anaheim with LHP Patrick Corbin set to make the start for Texas opposite LHP Yusei Kikuchi for the Angels.
The Tuesday evening first pitch from Angel Stadium is scheduled for 8:38 pm CT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
