Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki has a simple solution for his team’s offensive struggles, which have contributed to an ugly 6-24 stretch.
“We just need to find ways to score runs. That’s all,” Suzuki said after the Angels managed just five hits in a 3-2 loss in 10 innings to the Athletics on Thursday night.
It was the third straight defeat and ninth in 10 games for Los Angeles, which will start a three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.
The Angels are averaging 2.9 runs and batting .217 over their last 30 games.
Suzuki said his team, which possesses the worst record in the majors (17-34), continues to exhibit a good attitude despite the struggles.
“They believe,” he said. “Every inning you have (Mike) Trout, you got all the guys, they’re all up there rooting guys on and believing we’re going to put up runs, and really, we’re just not. It’s not lack of effort, it’s not for lack of anything like that. We just need to find ways to score runs. That’s all.”
The season doesn’t figure to get any easier in Friday’s series opener.
Jacob deGrom (3-3, 3.02 ERA), a two-time Cy Young Award winner, will take the mound for Texas and will oppose fellow right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (0-1, 17.18).
Rodriguez, obtained in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason for outfielder Taylor Ward, made his first start since July 31, 2024, on Sunday in a 10-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four and threw 79 pitches, touching 99 mph with his fastball.
Rodriguez missed the second half of the 2024 season with a lat injury and then all of 2025 with lat, shoulder and elbow injuries. He underwent surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow and began this season on the injured list with right shoulder soreness.
“With rehab and stuff, there were a lot of dark days, so today was special for me just to be able to take the mound on a big-league field,” Rodriguez said.
Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages each had two-run singles to highlight a five-run fourth inning that chased Rodriguez.
“I thought I threw some really good pitches,” Rodriguez said. “That’s a really good lineup, but in big spots with runners on base, off-speed pitches were left up, (and) they were able to put the bat on the ball and score some runs.”
Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 7.53 ERA in three career starts against Texas.
Meanwhile, deGrom is 1-2 with a 3.76 ERA in five career starts against the Angels, including 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA in three starts last season.
He is coming off a 4-1 loss at Houston last Saturday. He allowed just five hits in six innings, but four of them were home runs by Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Zach Cole. It marked just the second time in his career that deGrom gave up four homers in a game. The first time came with the New York Mets on July 7, 2015, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I actually thought he pitched pretty good,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Solo home runs shouldn’t beat us.”
Said deGrom: “I was fighting myself to throw the ball where I wanted to and wasn’t able to make an in-game adjustment. It wasn’t good.”
–Field Level Media
