Unfortunately Elvis Andrus’s home run came in the one inning they had nobody on base.

Forget the defensive shifts. Forget the righty-lefty matchups. Forget the analytics about facing the Rangers.

If you want to keep Texas off the scoreboard, try something really unconventional: put Rangers on the bases. They will politely leave them stranded.

Time after time the Rangers have loaded the bases and not scored. But it’s not just when they load the bases. They struggle driving any one home, no matter where they are on base.

Yesterday, they left one on in the first, one in the second, and one in the third. Two on in the fourth. Bases loaded in the fifth. One in the sixth. Two in the seventh. They finally just ran out of gas and didn’t get anyone else on base, folding their tent late once again. When Elvis Andrus homered in the ninth it was 8-3, and it was too little too late.

So now the Rangers are 4-8, which is exactly where they were last year after twelve games.

The culprit is that the Rangers have too many holes in their lineup.

Profar is hitting .146. Chirinos is at .124. Robinson at .222. Rua at .125. Odor was at .206 when he went down.

That’s just far too many hitters who aren’t hitting. Luckily the Rangers are drawing a ton of walks.

That strategy is working. Put them on, leave them on.

Brilliant.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Tyler Skaggs (1-0, 1.64) vs. Martin Perez (1-1, 5.06)
Game time: 7:05

How the Angels hit against Perez.
How the Rangers hit against Skaggs.