Angels can't convert opportunities in loss to Rangers

ANAHEIM >> Needing a victory to salvage a split against a division rival, the Angels came up frustratingly empty on Thursday night.

The Angels were shut down by Martin Perez for seven innings in a 3-0 loss to the Texas Rangers, despite having a steady flow of traffic on the bases against him.

In four of Perez’s innings, the Angels had a leadoff hit. In the third, they started the inning with back-to-back singles, bringing Mike Trout and the heart of the order up. Trout struck out. Albert Pujols fouled out on the first pitch. C.J. Cron grounded out.

In the seventh, Jefry Marte led off with a double, but three straight hitters couldn’t so much as move him to third, let alone drive him in.

After Perez departed, the Angels wasted a promising rally against reliever Jason Grilli. Cameron Maybin and Mike Trout walked to lead off the eighth, but Pujols popped out, Cron hit a flyout and Andrelton Simmons hit a dribbler back to Grilli.

The Angels’ were hitless in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Lacking support, Angels starter Troy Scribner had no room for error, and he made a few mistakes in his five innings.

Scribner allowed three runs on a pair of homers. No. 9 hitter Drew Robinson blasted a two-run homer in the third and Mike Napoli his his customary homer against the Angels in the fourth. Napoli has hit 21 homers in 74 games against the Angels, who traded him for Veon Wells in one of the franchise’s most costly trades.

Scribner nonetheless held his own against a powerful lineup, which is saying something for a guy who brings an 86-88 mph fastball to the mound most of the time.

“I think Troy understands his stuff,” Manager Mike Scioscia said before the game. “He knows he’s not overpowering. He knows what he can do. He’s very confident. It’s a matter of going out and making pitches. He’s got good poise. He is not intimidated by anything.”

Scribner had allowed five eaed runs in 13 innings in his first go-around in the majors, a few weeks ago. When he retued after a brief trip back to Triple-A, he said he felt better prepared this time.

“I think I know a little bit more how to throw to guys up here,” he said this week. “How to set up counts. How they approach a guy like me. When to throw inside. When to go back to back inside. When to stay soft away. Things like that. Now that I’ve been here and seen it up here, I have a better knowledge of what to do.”

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Perhaps most impressive, Scribner struck out Adrian Beltre twice, the second time swinging through an 86 mph fastball. He also retired the final five batters he faced after giving up the Napoli homer.

Jesse Chavez, who came out of the rotation earlier this month, worked two scoreless innings of relief. He’s now allowed one run in 11 relief innings since being sent to the bullpen, with 15 strikeouts and no walks.

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