The Texas Rangers didn’t score a single run tonight, falling 3-0 to the Anaheim Angels at Globe Life Field. On a night they were honoring their incredible 1996 club, the current team put on a performance that had to make any fan of that AL West championship squad cringe. Seriously, this was rough to watch.
This Offense Is a Black Hole
Tonight’s shutout means the Rangers added exactly zero to their season tally of 516 runs. Zero! They haven’t even scored in a regulation inning since Thursday, which is just mind-blowing. This team has now been shut out twice this week against a couple of teams with a combined record of 113-148. Think about that: they can’t hit against bad teams. They’ve only managed to score two or fewer runs in all but one game this week on this homestand. Their “big output” this week was somehow scoring five runs in Tuesday’s victory. It’s just not good enough.
How bad was it? The Rangers had one single all evening. One! Cody Freeman, the No. 8 hitter, mercifully collected that lone hit, a single in the bottom of the sixth, to prevent this club from getting no-hit by a guy with a 6+ ERA. That’s how you know things are dire: your player of the game is the guy who stopped you from making even sadder history. Meanwhile, Zach Neto led off for the Angels with a double on the second pitch of the game and went on to grab three extra-base hits himself, contributing to the Angels’ ten hits overall. It’s like they’re playing a completely different sport.
Glory Days vs. Today’s Embarrassment
The contrast between tonight’s no-show and the 1996 team they were honoring is just brutal. That ’96 squad, the one that snagged the franchise’s first AL West championship, averaged just a smidge over ten hits per game. They scored a whopping 928 runs that season and averaged 5.7 runs per game. Can you even imagine? This 2026 team is sitting at 516 runs total, not per game, not close to 928.
A lot can change in 30 years, apparently. Those ’96ers played real baseball over at The Ballpark. Tonight’s version on the synthetic field looked like a shell of the game we know and love. If any of those legends stuck around, they probably wouldn’t recognize what they saw. It’s a tough look, man.
Tomorrow, the Rangers and Angels close out this series. RHP Cal Quantrill will make the start for Texas opposite an unnamed pitcher for Anaheim. The Sunday afternoon first pitch from The Shed is set for 1:35 pm CDT. Let’s just hope they can find a way to scratch across more than a single hit and avoid another complete offensive meltdown.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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