Angels salvage series against Rangers with 3-0 win

As various Top 40 hits pulsed throughout Globe Life Park’s spacious visiting clubhouse on Sunday evening, the Angels packed their bags to part ways for the first time in five months. The All-Star break had begun, and the team plane would soon depart Texas for John Wayne Airport far more vacant than usual.

Many players headed home directly from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to squeeze in as much vacation time as the schedule permits. Others planned to stay in Southern California or depart from there. JC Ramirez, the starter in Sunday’s first-half finale, will visit Las Vegas to unwind.

“I need my mind to get off baseball for a little bit,” Ramirez said. “It’s been a lot this first half.”

Sunday itself could be described as a lot. Ramirez’s day represented a rarity. Not once across baseball this season had a starter thrown six or more scoreless innings while striking out two or fewer batters and walking five or more. Ramirez did, and he won, as the Angels toppled Texas 3-0 to avoid finishing the first half as losers of six of seven games.

“It’s not too often you’re gonna walk five guys in that span and come out of it unscathed,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “But he got some big outs.”

So the Angels (45-47) ended their first half like they played it, surviving when the circumstances dictated otherwise. Their standing is not enough to generate genuine excitement in Orange County, but sufficient to keep them within reach of an American League wild-card race in which all teams are flawed. On Sunday, they got only five hits, but they made those count.

To begin the game, Albert Pujols grabbed hold of a hooking curveball from Yu Darvish and redirected it 407 feet for a home run. It was Pujols’ 13th shot of the year and 604th of his career, five away from Sammy Sosa’s all-time record for players born outside the United States.

Ramirez did not give up a hit until the fourth inning, a one-out double by Nomar Mazara. He had earlier issued a walk in the second and another in the third. After the instance in the third, Delino DeShields laid down a bunt and nearly beat the throw to first. Backup catcher Juan Graterol delivered it just in time, and first baseman Luis Valbuena pointed to first base umpire Joe West until West said the word he wanted to hear: “Out.”

The Angels threatened in the fifth. Ben Revere singled, stole second and took third when Darvish picked him off. But the Rangers infielders lost track of Revere, who reached safely. Nick Franklin, who had walked, took second on that play, and both men moved up an additional base when Graterol notched a sacrifice fly.

Ramirez issued walks to two of the first three batters he faced in the fifth, but coaxed a double-play ball between them to lessen the impact. He induced grounders to shortstop from the next two Rangers. The first, by DeShields, went as a hit because Andrelton Simmons had ranged to cover second on a steal attempt. Simmons converted his next chance when Shin-soo Choo tapped a 3-and-2 pitch to him.

Ramirez required 20 pitches to finish the sixth, 96 in all, before Scioscia turned to his heavily used bullpen for one last time this half. He called on David Hernandez, Cam Bedrosian and Bud Norris in that order, the order on which he appears to be settling. All three men hurled hitless relief.

The Angels mustered another run in the ninth when Valbuena singled and Simmons doubled.

Ramirez had never started a major league game before April 14. Improbably, he now leads the team in innings. Predictably, his results have faded. To combat that, he turned Sunday to an old standby: his four-seam fastball, which pitching coach Charles Nagy had asked him to stop throwing in September because of concerns controlling it.

“Now, if they’re looking for the two-seam, I’ll throw the four-seam,” Ramirez said. “If they’re looking for the four-seam, I’ll throw the two-seam.”

With Nagy’s OK, he split his offerings between the two against the Rangers. Nagy understands the desire to better attack left-handed hitters who had grown accustomed to Ramirez’s two-seamer traveling into their bat barrel.

“His mechanics are better right now, where it’s repeatable,” Nagy said. “He knows what it’s gonna do now. So, that’s why using both makes a lot of sense, as long as he’s comfortable throwing it. It makes it a little easier for him.”

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura

UPDATES:

7:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.