The Los Angeles Angels edged out the Texas Rangers 6-5 on Monday night at Angel Stadium, claiming the series opener with a walk-off bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning by Nolan Schanuel. The contest, which featured high-profile starting pitchers Jacob deGrom and Yusei Kikuchi, turned into a back-and-forth affair and was ultimately decided in the late innings.
With the game tied heading into the bottom of the ninth, Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo led off with a double off Rangers reliever Chris Martin, who fell to 0-5 on the season. After Kevin Newman singled with one out, loading the bases with an intentional walk to Zach Neto, Texas manager Bruce Bochy turned to left-hander Hoby Milner to face Schanuel. The left-handed batter fell behind in the count 0-2 before working it full and taking a changeup just below the strike zone to walk in the winning run.
Travis d’Arnaud was instrumental in Los Angeles’s offense throughout the night. He hit a two-run homer off deGrom in the second inning and later contributed an RBI double during a two-run sixth inning that temporarily gave the Angels a 5-4 lead. Rengifo’s two-out single had kept that rally alive, and pinch-hitter LaMonte Wade Jr. followed d’Arnaud’s double with a base hit of his own to bring in another run.
Texas answered in the top of the eighth to knot the score at five. Josh Smith’s two-out double off reliever Sam Bachman drove in Jake Burger, who had reached base after a strikeout and passed ball. The defensive lapse cost the Angels, though the bullpen held firm the rest of the way. Kenley Jansen earned the win, improving to 2-2, after retiring the side in the top of the ninth and navigating a potential go-ahead threat. He induced a key double play from Corey Seager and struck out Marcus Semien to end the frame.
Seager gave the Rangers an early lead with a two-run home run in the first inning, part of a hot start against Kikuchi, who allowed four runs over five innings. DeGrom also pitched five innings and surrendered three runs, ending a streak of 14 consecutive starts in which he had given up two or fewer runs while completing at least five innings. That streak dated back to April 18 and had set a franchise record for Texas.
The Angels’ first run came on a sacrifice fly by Mike Trout in the first inning, and d’Arnaud’s homer the next inning gave Los Angeles an early 3-2 advantage. The Rangers tied the score at 3-3 and later regained the lead before the Angels’ sixth-inning surge and Schanuel’s decisive ninth-inning plate appearance.
Tuesday’s pitching matchup will feature Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who enters with a 5-3 record and a 1.75 ERA, against Angels right-hander José Soriano, who holds a 6-5 record and 3.72 ERA. Early betting lines list the Angels as slight favorites at -120, with the Rangers close behind at +100. The over/under for total runs is currently set at 8.5.
