In the Baseball Makes No Sense category, last night’s game is a prime example.

How does Jak Kochanowicz beat Jacob deGrom? How do the Angels strike out thirteen times and walk just once, yet score six runs? How do the Rangers walk seven times to go with six hits and score only four times?

The Rangers had traffic all night. The Angels ignore that and just hit balls over the wall.

Texas had its chances. But Adolis Garcia and Joc Pederson, the four-five hitters, the proverbial heart of the lineup, went a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts. Their inability to produce killed the Rangers last night, on a night when Houston, New York, and Boston all lost. 

Pederson is 0-for-8 in his two games back from the I.L. with really the same kind of at-bats. Routine ground ball outs to the infield. Easy pop ups. And rally crushing strikeouts. He drops his batting average to .123. His at-bat in the fifth was particularly costly. The Rangers had loaded the bases with a Josh Smith triple with two outs, then two walks, Garcia flew out harmlessly to right but the Angels right fielder dropped it to allow to runs to score, tying the game at 2-2. 

Pederson came up with runners at second and third and the perfect opportunity to stick the dagger in the Angels’ night and really make them pay for that silly dropped fly ball. He struck out on a 3-2 count on a pitch that was further out of the strike zone than the previous pitch that make it ball three. 

In the seventh, down 6-3, the Rangers had second and third again, this time with one out. Garica popped out. Pederson struck out again. Rally killed.

Garcia ended the game by striking out. Pederson was on deck.

It was a fitting end to a frustrating game that is just a small sample size of a season-long offensive frustration from Garcia and Pederson, two players they were counting on for so much this season but who have been disappointing. 

Actually, disappointing is too soft of a word. 

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