Angels drop series to Rangers after 3-0 shutout

This week in Orange County, the Angels are playing more meaningful games than they have in two years. They have withstood injuries to remain around .500 and relevant in the American League wild-card chase. But to secure a playoff spot, they’ll have to surge at some point.

In a 3-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Thursday at Angel Stadium, they did not perform well amid the added pressure. They had more hits than the Rangers yet failed to produce an impactful single in 11 opportunities with runners in scoring position.

“Gosh,” manager Mike Scioscia said, “it was one of those nights. We just didn’t square up a ball.”

In the modern major leagues, Troy Scribner is an anomaly, a 6-foot-3 right-hander who can not reach 90 mph with his fastball. His average offering clocks in at 88 mph, a territory now reserved for left-handers, knuckleballers, those far past their prime, or those returning from major surgery.

To get here despite that, the 26-year-old has benefited from the cavalcade of arm issues afflicting the Angels’ intended starting rotation. And he has demonstrated an ability to place his pitches where he wants more often than most.

Still, he makes mistakes, and the men he’ll face in the major leagues are wont to punish them. With a runner on second base and one out in the third inning, the Angels spot starter left an 86-mph fastball over the middle. Drew Robinson redirected it 431 feet to center for a two-run homer. After a walk, a hit batsman and a flyout, Scribner served up another 86-mph fastball, this one to Adrian Beltre, and Beltre swung and missed.

Scribner began by issuing a six-pitch walk, then fell behind 3-and-1 to Shin-Soo Choo and lucked into a double-play lineout. The Angels forced similarly sudden action in their half of the first inning. Both Cameron Maybin and Mike Trout swung at first pitches from Texas left-hander Martin Perez. Maybin’s swing went for a single into left. Trout’s, a little to the left, produced a double play.

Texas crushed another homer in the fourth inning, a Mike Napoli solo shot against another mislocated fastball from Scribner. Scribner gave up no other hits, and neither did reliever Jesse Chavez, who handled the sixth and seventh.

In 11 relief innings since Scribner replaced him in the rotation this month, Chavez has struck out 15, walked none and given up only one run.

He had given up at least two runs in his last 10 starts before being banished to the bullpen.

In the eighth, Bud Norris withstood a double and a trainer’s visit to post a scoreless inning. In the ninth, Jose Alvarez traversed a single, stolen base, error and an extended replay review to do the same.

In the second and third innings, the Angels got four singles but no runs. With two on and no outs in the third, Trout opted against swinging at an 0-and-2 fastball. Though the pitch appeared located near the top of the strike zone and along its inside edge, Trout could not believe umpire Adrian Johnson’s strike call, placing his hand atop his helmet as he walked back to the dugout.

In the fourth and fifth innings, the Angels generated no hits and no runs. In each of the next three innings, they squandered a hit, and in the eighth they stranded two no-out walks.

Texas batted only four times with runners in scoring position, but logged one more hit than the Angels in such situations — one. The Rangers now trail the Angels by only half a game, and are out of playoff position by one. Four teams in front of them lost Thursday.

Short hops

The Angels optioned right-handed reliever Eduardo Paredes to triple-A Salt Lake to make room for Scribner on their active roster. Paredes will be back with the team Sept. 1, if not sooner. …

Right-hander Huston Street started throwing this week after being sidelined for more than a month because of a rotator cuff strain. He headed to Arizona to rehab on Thursday, planning to return to Anaheim on Sept. 16. He hopes to be activated soon after that. The 34-year-old reliever has pitched only four innings this season because of an array of injuries. He will become a free agent at year’s end, when the Angels decline their $10-million option for his 2018 services. …

Catcher Martin Maldonado was excluded from Thursday’s lineup for only the sixth time in 46 games since the All-Star break. His statistics have declined dramatically since then as he soars past his previous career high in games played. Maldonado, 31, did distribute donuts inside the Angels clubhouse before the game.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Follow Pedro Moura on Twitter @pedromoura