Rangers chase Noah Syndergaard early in Angels’ 7-4 loss
Eli White had the first and last of five Texas hits during a six-run first inning off Noah Syndergaard, and the Rangers beat the Angels 7-4 on Monday night.
Jon Gray won his home debut despite allowing Shohei Ohtani’s RBI double off the base of the center-field wall in a three-run first. The Rangers’ immediate response knocked out Syndergaard, a local high school standout, after two-thirds of an inning.
Gray said the Rangers’ offensive response “gives you another chance.”
“After a rough first inning like that, you feel like you’ve always lost the game,“ he added.
Jonah Heim hit a solo home run to center in the seventh, just beyond the reach of Mike Trout, for his second RBI.
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Joe Barlow worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his seventh save in seven chances, and center fielder Adolis Garcia ended the game with his second shoestring catch of the night, on Taylor Ward. The Rangers are 8-5 in May after going 7-14 in April.
White led off for Texas and had two RBIs, a stolen base and a run in the first. His second single came off Jaime Barria, a starter for much of his big league career and the first of three Angels relievers. Barria pitched 4 1/3 innings and threw 62 pitches to Syndergaard’s 42.
Gray (1-1) gave up four runs and eight hits while striking out eight as he set season highs with 5 2/3 innings and 89 pitches. He left two previous starts with injuries, going on the 10-day injured list each time, and pitched Monday with a brace on his left knee.
“After we got that six, (Gray) settled down and won us the game,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said.
Syndergaard (3-2) yielded six runs — four earned — four hits, two walks and two steals. He grew up 17 miles south of Globe Life Field in Mansfield.
“When it rains, it pours,” said Syndergaard, who missed most of the last two seasons with the New York Mets because of injuries. “I’ve got to have a short-term memory, but I also [must] learn from mistakes, learn from this outing and make sure it never happens again.”
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Garcia followed Sunday’s two-homer outing with an RBI double to the warning track in left-center for the Rangers’ only extra-base hit of that inning.
Ohtani doubled on a 3-0 fastball.
The Angels were four for 10 with runners in scoring position. In addition to Garcia’s two running catches, Texas shortstop Corey Seager made a backhand stop deep in the hole on Trout to start a double play in the seventh to snuff out a potential rally.
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