Max Scherzer allowed one hit over seven shutout innings as the Texas Rangers blanked the visiting Los Angeles Angels 12-0 on Monday night to open their three-game series.
Scherzer (12-4) struck out 11 and walked one. The 39-year-old right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 20 innings in three starts since he was traded from the New York Mets on July 30.
Marcus Semien hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs for the Rangers, who have won 11 of 13. Adolis Garcia added a two-run homer and J.P. Martinez had two hits and three runs for Texas.
Angels starter Patrick Sandoval came in with a 2-1 mark and 1.86 ERA over his previous five starts, but he struggled against the Rangers.
Sandoval (6-9) gave up five runs (four earned) and four hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked six and struck out six.
The Angels are 3-10 in August after entering the month with the best record in the AL since the All-Star break (11-5).
Semien had an RBI single in the second inning, and another run came home on an error by center fielder Mickey Moniak on the play to give Texas a 2-0 lead.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Martinez in the third extended the lead to 3-0. The Rangers reloaded the bases with two outs in the inning after Sandoval failed to cover first on a grounder to the right side. He then walked Semien, Sandoval’s sixth walk of the game, to force in another run and give Texas a 4-0 lead.
Griffin Canning entered and threw a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead. He then gave up leadoff doubles in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Rangers capitalized in the sixth when Corey Seager came home on a two-out double by Mitch Garver to make it 6-0. Semien blasted his three-run homer in the seventh to make it 9-0. It was his 19th homer of the season.
Garcia hit a two-run homer later in the seventh, his 30th bomb of the season, to make it 11-0.
The Angels put infielder Eduardo Escobar on the mound for the eighth and the Rangers tacked on another run on a double by Leody Taveras for a 12-0 lead.
The Angels had runners on first and second with one out in the second against Scherzer, but Matt Thaiss lined into an inning-ending double play.
Scherzer then retired the next 15 batters in a row, striking out the side in the sixth and the final two batters of the seventh.
–Field Level Media
