Texas Rangers Shut the Door on Angels to Secure Win in 2026 Series
The Texas Rangers welcomed the visiting Angels with open arms for Game Three of a short homestand and snuck away with a 5-3 victory, improving their record to 65-66. Reliever Cal Quantrill took the mound to finish out Players’ Weekend, and he didn’t disappoint. The veteran right-hander pitched six shutout innings along with striking out six batters in 96 pitches; the most pitches he’s thrown in a Rangers’ uniform. For Los Angeles, Yusei Kikuchi hung in there the best he could, but the left-hander couldn’t keep the game close, giving up five earned runs, seven hits and two home runs.
This game wasn’t particularly close, as Skip Schumaker’s squad was getting the job done on the mound and in the batter’s box. The matchup only became competitive in the top of the eighth as Zach Neto got a hold of Peyton Gray's fastball down the gut, sending it 418 feet to deep left-center field. Schumaker had seen enough, as the Gray experiment almost bit them in the behind, but the bullpen summoned Tyler Alexander to get them out of the inning. Josh Lowe, younger brother of former Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, had other plans, as he was able to get a sacrifice RBI to bring the score 5-2. Then, Gustavo Campero punched in the third Angels’ run with a single to right, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. Los Angeles falls even further behind in the American League West standings, as they’re now 52-79, landing fourth in the division.
Quiet but Mighty Offense
Power hitting doesn’t always win you games, but it sure does feel great to see some dingers. ‘The Solution’ Ezequiel Durán got the scoring party started in the bottom of the second, sending a down-and-away slider deep to left-center field 403 feet. Then, in the bottom of the second, ‘Little Rascal’ Cody Freeman knocked in his first career triple to get Texas their second run of the game. Newly acquired catcher Elías Díaz came up huge, scoring two runs with a sacrifice fly and absolutely blasting a 421-foot no-doubter to left-center field. The Rangers' offense was solid at the plate, knocking in eight hits. Skip Schumaker and his squad will look to build off the series win as they’re about to go on a brutal road trip north, facing the AL Central Division leader, the Chicago White Sox, and the NL Central Division leader, the Milwaukee Brewers.
A Look Ahead
As stated earlier, the Rangers have a tough road trip ahead of them. With the Brewers and White Sox atop their divisions, they’re going to do whatever they need to do in order to stay there, regardless of the opponent. The main thing to look for when it comes to Texas is how their starting pitching is during the first four innings of the game. In the next game, which is tomorrow, the 24th, against the White Sox, Kumar Rocker is getting the nod to get things started, but he’s historically been at his worst throughout the season in the first three innings of a start. If that’s the case again against a potent Chicago offense, Texas’ offense needs to score at least five runs to take off as much pressure as possible. This stretch has the chance to make or break the season for Skip and his squad.
