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Cut to the chase

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The Texas Rangers have a more potent offense, a superior defense and a far better bullpen than the Angels, while the team’s rotations are an even match.

But as much as the between-the-lines factors favor Texas this season, it’s what’s going on between the ears of the Rangers that will probably end the Angels’ reign of American League West titles at three in a row.

Texas, it seems, has learned a lesson since hitting an emotional high May 17, 2009, when it completed a three-game sweep of the Angels at the Ballpark in Arlington to take a 41/2-game division lead.

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Ian Kinsler made a superb defensive play to end the final game, after which television cameras caught the Rangers second baseman mouthing the words, “Get the ... off our field!”

The Angels, of course, had the last word -- and laugh -- catching the Rangers in June and blowing past them in September to win the division by 10 games, former ace John Lackey punctuating a late-season win at Texas by saying, “We try to fly flags; we don’t talk.”

The Rangers are now taking more of a long view on 2010, a season in which they are playing with purpose, grit and determination.

They have the look and feel of a winner, a swagger, and they got better with last week’s acquisition of ace left-hander Cliff Lee from Seattle.

“When we swept that series in May last season, we were all fired up, excited ... and it was May,” Kinsler said. “There’s a lot of things that can happen -- injuries, players hitting cold streaks -- all kinds of things that can cause you to spiral. This year, our maturity level is a lot higher than it’s been in the past.”

The Angels know how to win -- they’ve won five of the last six division titles -- but they don’t appear to have the talent to catch Texas, which has a 41/2-game AL West lead entering second-half play.

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The Angels lost their best hitter, first baseman Kendry Morales, to a season-ending injury in late May, third baseman Maicer Izturis has been out for a month, and there are gaping holes in the lineup, bullpen, rotation and bench.

The Angels, who resume play against Seattle on Thursday night, also lack the major league-ready prospects usually needed to acquire an impact bat before the July 31 trade deadline.

A summary of where the Angels are -- and might be going:

First-half surprise

The Angels won 21 of their next 30 games after Morales broke a bone above his left ankle while leaping onto the plate to celebrate his walk-off grand slam May 29.

Starting pitchers combined for a 19-9 record and a 4.00 earned-run average during the stretch, a bullpen that struggled for two months began to stabilize, and Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Torii Hunter and Mike Napoli fueled an offense that averaged 5.5 runs per game.

But the loss of Morales and the continued struggles of Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera caught up with the Angels in July, a month in which they’ve lost eight of 11 games.

First-half disappointment

A tossup between third baseman Brandon Wood and pitcher Scott Kazmir, with Rivera getting dishonorable mention.

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The Angels didn’t need Wood to be the second coming of Mike Schmidt, but they expected a lot better than a .171 average, .229 slugging percentage, three home runs, 12 runs batted in, 50 strikeouts and four walks in 170 at-bats.

Kazmir has been a mess, a mix of nagging injuries, mechanical problems and a loss of confidence leading to a 7-9 record, a 6.92 ERA and a five-inning, 13-run, 11-hit shellacking at Oakland in his last start.

Rivera hit .287 with 25 homers and 88 RBIs last season, but has struggled with a .240 average, 10 homers and 34 RBIs. He has looked lost at times in left field and complained of blurred vision in early July.

At this pace

Napoli, a first baseman and catcher who ranks fourth in the league with 84 strikeouts, would finish with a career-high 149 strikeouts. Abreu, a career .299 hitter who is batting .257, would finish with his lowest average since he hit .250 in 59 games for Houston in 1997.

Jered Weaver, who leads the league with 137 strikeouts, would finish with 250 strikeouts, 76 more than his career high, set last season.

Reasons for excitement

Despite Kazmir’s struggles, the starting rotation has a 4.43 ERA, ranking eighth in the league just behind the Rangers, whose rotation has a 4.29 ERA.

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Center fielder Hunter is having a superb season, batting .298 with a .385 on-base percentage, 15 homers, 24 doubles, 62 RBIs, 42 walks and 56 strikeouts.

Izturis, out since June 16 because of a tear in his left forearm, has resumed batting practice and could return in about 10 days.

Reasons for concern

Though closer Brian Fuentes has converted six of seven save opportunities and hasn’t given up a run in eight innings since June 22, the bullpen remains thinned by injuries to Jason Bulger and Matt Palmer.

The offense has sagged in July, the team’s once-proud bench providing next to nothing.

Moves to ponder

General Manager Tony Reagins is targeting corner infielders, with Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche and Ty Wigginton on his radar, but would consider dealing for any player who could bolster the offense.

The Angels could also use one more reliable starting pitcher and a consistent reliever or two.

See you in October

This has the feel of 2006, when the Angels struggled to sustain a productive offense, played erratic defense and failed to make the playoffs.

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Prediction: The Angels won’t reach the playoffs for only the second time since 2004.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

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