Matt Shoemaker's struggles continue in Angels 7-2 loss

ARLINGTON, Texas >> Matt Shoemaker is creating a difficult problem for the Angels.

Shoemaker allowed seven runs and failed to make it out of the third iing of the Angels’ 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday.

Through five starts, Shoemaker has been hit hard three times, to the tune of a 9.15 ERA.

The Angels, however, have no obvious alteatives if they decide to take him out of the rotation. The three other starters with big league experience — Tyler Skaggs, C.J. Wilson and Andrew Heaney — are all hurt or slowly rehabbing.

Nate Smith, who has a 3.94 ERA at Triple-A, seems to be the best alteative at Salt Lake City.

The schedule does provide the Angels another choice, though. They are off Thursday and the following Monday. The Angels could go with only four starters for the next two weeks, until May 14.

Shoemaker could be optioned and that would buy the Angels a couple weeks to make a decision. They could bring Shoemaker back or else see if someone else has emerged.

Or, the Angels may just send Shoemaker out there again next time, banking on the fact that his two good starts indicate he still has it in him. Shoemaker allowed just two runs in 12 1/3 iings in his second and third starts.

This time, he gave up three times that in the third iing alone.

Down 1-0, Shoemaker gave up seven hits, including five in a row. The first key moment was when Rougned Odor’s drive down the right-field line was changed from a foul to fair ball on review, tuing it into a double. The second came on Mitch Moreland’s three-run homer, against a belt-high fastball over the middle of the plate.

That made it 7-0, and ended Shoemaker’s night, leaving the Angels bullpen to scrape together 17 outs to get through the game.