Matt Shoemaker has another rough outing as Angels fall to Rangers, 7-2

It did not much matter whom Matt Shoemaker faced in Saturday’s third inning at Globe Life Park, or what he threw them.

A high fastball to Delino DeShields was fired back up the middle for a single. An inside-corner fastball to Rougned Odor landed on the right-field foul line for a double. An outside-corner fastball to Nomar Mazara was lofted for a sacrifice fly.

Adrian Beltre singled on a way-inside first-pitch fastball, and Prince Fielder singled on a way-outside fifth-pitch fastball. Ian Desmond thwacked a slider into center for a single, and, then, after pitching coach Charles Nagy visited the mound, Mitch Moreland delivered the decisive blow, pulling another elevated fastball to deep right field for a three-run home run.

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Texas scored six runs in a span of 17 pitches, twice as many as either team scored on Saturday’s remaining 263 pitches, as the Rangers beat the Angels, 7-2.

Why so much so fast for Shoemaker? Why couldn’t he keep his pitches down when he needed?

“I wish I knew,” he said. “Unfortunately, that seems to be happening too much.”

The 29-year-old right-hander retired only one batter in the third inning and seven in all, and raised his 2016 earned-run average to 9.15 over five starts. Only twice has he recorded even one out in the fourth inning.

“All in all, another rough outing,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Shoemaker may not start again in the major leagues until May 14 — the next time the Angels will need a fifth starter because of days off in the schedule.

In the first inning Saturday, Shoemaker immediately yielded two doubles as Texas took a 1-0 lead. In the second inning, Kole Calhoun saved him from giving up a triple to Elvis Andrus when he fully extended himself in the air to catch a sharp line drive.

After Shoemaker was gone in the fourth, Mike Trout earned his first error since Sept. 24, 2014, on an errant throw home that allowed Beltre to take an extra base, but the Rangers did not score. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons was also charged with a rare error when he flubbed a Beltre ground ball in the sixth.

In the Angels’ half of the first inning, Trout took hold of an 0-2 changeup well below the zone and powered it 366 feet to right field, nearly out of the field of play. Mazara caught it one step short.

An inning later, C.J. Cron whacked a ball 348 feet to right field, just above the wall. Mazara leaped and gloved it, but it rattled out, and Cron got all the way to third base. He remained stranded there, though, when Carlos Perez flew out harmlessly.

The Angels went down in order in innings three, four, and six against Rangers starter Derek Holland. In the fifth, they strung together two singles, eliciting a mound visit, but could not score. Calhoun led off the seventh with a triple, but was tagged out on a fielder’s choice two batters later. Yunel Escobar singled but was quickly erased on a double play in the eighth.

Their lone runs scored in the ninth. After Trout was called out on a questionable third strike for the second time Saturday night, Albert Pujols powered a 1-0 fastball from reliever Phil Klein out to left-center. Calhoun followed with a driven double to left field, and Cron blooped a single to score him.

That was the only hit the Angels had among 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position, capping their offensive struggles of April, a month they finished with an unsightly 11-13 record.

It was not enough to discourage them on this night.

“There’s upside in this team,” Scioscia said.

Follow Pedro Moura on Twitter @pedromoura