ARLINGTON, Texas _ When the Texas Rangers chose to not go all-in on player acquisition during the offseason, they started shopping off their if list.
If this player does that, if that player does this and if two more players do, too, the Rangers might have a chance.
They found affordable players who might recapture their past form, asked the coaching staff to fix them, and then used them to plug all the holes from 2017.
Chief among those on the Rangers' if list was Matt Moore, acquired in December in a trade from San Francisco after arguably the worst season in the majors by a starting pitcher.
But his salary wasn't outrageous. His final handful of starts were encouraging.
Two weeks into the season, though, Moore hasn't done much to rate as encouraging, and neither have the Rangers. Though early in the 2018 race, things are looking iffy.
Moore was the losing pitcher Wednesday for third time this season in as many starts. The Rangers lost for the 10th time in 14 games to open the season, 7-2, as the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep.
Hope isn't entirely lost only two weeks into six-month season, but the Rangers haven't given much reason to be hopeful. They were long shots to open the season and have many believing they have no shot with 148 games to go.
The Rangers' immediate concern Wednesday night was the health of shortstop Elvis Andrus, who was hit below the right elbow by a 96-mph fastball with two outs in the ninth inning. Andrus was in obvious pain and left the game immediately with head athletic trainer Kevin Harmon holding onto the arm.
Manager Jeff Banister said that initials X-rays showed a fracture in the elbow, but the Rangers would wait for an initial diagnosis until after a more thorough examination.
The Rangers are off Thursday before opening a six-game road trip Friday at Houston. Andrus has never been on the disabled list in his career.
"It's a good day for an off day," Banister said. "You don't replace guys like this. It's such a huge part of the lineup and defensively and leadership. We'll know more tomorrow."
Pick any facet of the game, and the Rangers haven't done well enough in any of them. Against the Angels, the starting pitchers managed 13 innings, the bullpen surrendered 12 runs (nine earned) and the Rangers were outscored 26-6.
At least Moore was better than he had been. The three runs he allowed in five innings rate as his best start of the season, and though he wasn't terribly efficient with his pitches, he showed better control than he did Friday to open what turned into a 1-5 homestand.
Moore (0-3) retired the first five hitters before the next four reached. Among them was Shohei Ohtani, who singled in one of the two Angels runs in the second inning. Moore did well in the fourth to allow only one run after the Angels opened single, triple.
When Moore exited, the Rangers were within striking distance at 3-1.
But Matt Bush quickly coughed up two runs in the sixth, and the Rangers went to the eighth inning with only one hit _ Ryan Rua's first homer of the season to open the third inning.
The Rangers collected two hits in the eighth, but then, per the trend this season, failed with a runner in scoring position. The Rangers then gave up two unearned runs in the ninth, courtesy of third baseman Adrian Beltre's second error of the series.
