ARLINGTON, Texas _ Some nights, a game's outcome is decided in the seventh or eighth inning on a manager's pinch-hitting decision or a particularly prescient play by an infielder.
Other nights, it is decided by one man's simple struggles. Friday was one of those nights. Ricky Nolasco was the Los Angeles Angels' choice to take on Texas at Globe Life Park, and he had been so successful in his last two starts, unscored upon each time.
This time, the Rangers scored on him often in a 10-0 trouncing of the Angels.
He made it five batters before surrendering his first run. Then, with two outs and two men on base, Rougned Odor poked a single into right and Jonathan Lucroy hammered a double into left field to provide Texas with three more runs.
Jurickson Profar began the next inning with a single. After a bunt and a walk, Nolasco yielded another two-out single to allow a fourth run. Adrian Beltre broke the game open with a three-run homer, prompting a visit from pitching coach Charles Nagy. Odor's subsequent homer prompted a visit from manager Mike Scioscia, who pulled Nolasco.
It was the 34-year-old right-hander's shortest start not related to an injury since Sept. 14, 2013, when he was with the Dodgers. Nolasco was charged with eight runs. He recorded just the five outs.
As Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels plied his trade, inducing nine groundouts while striking out six, the Angels did not advance a man past first base all night. The closest they came to a run was the first inning, when Albert Pujols clubbed a drive 5 feet short of a homer to center field.
Otherwise, their offense was limited to an Andrelton Simmons walk, two Pujols singles, and a Martin Maldonado single. In the seventh inning, Scioscia removed three top players from his lineup: Simmons, center fielder Cameron Maybin and right fielder Kole Calhoun. In the eighth, Scioscia removed Maldonado, too.
Losers of four of their last five games, the Angels (44-46) must win both games this weekend to avoid finishing the first half with a sub-.500 record.
