Ryan Johnson allowed one hit over seven shutout innings to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
Johnson (3-7) held the Rangers hitless for five innings, allowing two walks and striking out three with one hit batter in his outing. Michael Fulmer walked one in the eighth and rookie Ryan Watson earned his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth as the trio combined on a one-hitter.
Teammate Zach Neto was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and two runs scored.
Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Moises Ballesteros had a run-scoring double among his two hits and Vaughn Grissom drove in a run as Los Angeles evened the three-game series.
Cody Freeman recorded the Rangers’ lone hit to open the sixth inning.
Neto led off the game with a double to left-center and scored on Trout’s bloop single, giving the Angels a 1-0 lead.
Los Angeles extended its lead to 2-0 in the sixth. Trout opened the frame with a double and advanced to third when Grissom lined out to right. Ballesteros doubled high off the right field wall to drive in Trout.
Cole Winn relieved Rangers starter Cody Bradford (0-2) and fanned Jose Siri and Gustavo Campero swinging to end the inning.
In the eighth, the Angels took a 3-0 lead when Neto tripled to right and came home on Grissom’s single.
Earlier, with one out in the third, Neto doubled to left. After Trout struck out swinging, Neto stole third. But Travis d’Arnaud’s groundout to third base ended the threat.
The teams traded slick defensive plays in consecutive half-innings. Los Angeles ended Texas’ third with a 5-4-3 double play.
The Rangers returned the favor in the fourth with their own 5-4-3 twin killing, then capped the inning when Corey Seager ranged up the middle to snag Denzer Guzman’s grounder and shoveled the ball to second base to force Campero.
Bradford scattered seven hits and allowed two runs with no walks and three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Johnson hit the Rangers first baseman Jake Burger with a pitch leading off the third, and Burger exited the game in the top of the fifth.
