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Angels' Shoemaker off on wrong foot with loss to Rangers

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Shoemaker gave up 24 home runs last season while going 7-10 with a 4.46 ERA. He wanted to start his fourth big league campaign on a high note.

The Texas Rangers got in the way.

Shoemaker was charged with six runs, seven hits and three walks over three-plus inning in the Los Angeles Angels' 7-3 loss to the Rangers.

Two of the runs came on a third-inning homer by Rougned Odor, who hit four of them against the Angels last season.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Shoemaker gave up 24 home runs last season while going 7-10 with a 4.46 ERA. He wanted to start his fourth big league campaign on a high note.

The Texas Rangers got in the way.

Shoemaker was charged with six runs, seven hits and three walks over three-plus inning in the Los Angeles Angels' 7-3 loss to the Rangers.

Two of the runs came on a third-inning homer by Rougned Odor, who hit four of them against the Angels last season.

"Like any pitcher, it just comes down to commanding counts and getting the ball in good zones," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Last year, there was no doubt that in some of his outings, his fastball was elevated more. When that happens, obviously, you're going to have a higher flyball rate and that's going to add up to more home runs."

Shoemaker went into this one with a little more confidence after going 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA in his four previous career starts against the Rangers.

"I was really looking forward to this start, especially after not getting off on the right foot last year," the right-hander said. "But that's the positive thing — it's only one start. It's a long season, and hopefully I'll get 30 more and have a lot of good ones after this."

The first five batters reached base in the Rangers' first, which included RBI singles by Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre and a run-scoring double by Mitch Moreland. Odor made it 5-1 with a two-run shot in the fifth after a walk to Ian Desmond.

"Even though his ERA wasn't great this spring, he definitely showed flashes of things we saw a couple years ago," Scioscia said. "It's in Matt. We know that. It didn't happen tonight, but I know he'll work hard in between and have a better start next time."

A.J. Griffin got the victory in his first major league appearance in more than two seasons. He threw 88 pitches over six innings, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings after his contract was purchased earlier in the day from the Rangers' Triple-A Round Rock club.

The 28-year-old right-hander signed with Texas as a free agent in December after missing the previous two seasons with the Oakland A's following Tommy John surgery in April 2014. Angel Stadium also was the site of his previous big league outing on Sept. 24, 2013.

"I'm really thankful to the Rangers for giving me this opportunity. It just shows that if you keep working hard and you have your eye on the prize, you can do great things," said Griffin, who is 19-0 in his career when getting more than three runs of support. "I've been working really hard to try to get back and compete at the highest level."

Rangers leadoff man Delino DeShields tied a career high with three stolen bases and scored twice, once on a wild pitch by reliever Cam Bedrosian in the fourth to give the Rangers a 6-2 lead.

Trailing 7-3, the Angels loaded the bases in the eighth with a single by Andrelton Simmons and two walks after Tom Wilhemsen retired the first two batters. But rookie right-hander Tony Barnette, making his third big league appearance, retired Carlos Perez on a flyball and Jake Diekman got the final three outs.

The Angels got their runs on an RBI groundout by Perez in the second, an RBI single by Kole Calhoun in the third and an RBI triple by Cliff Pennington in the fourth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: RHP Jered Weaver came out of Thursday's bullpen session in good shape and is slated to make his season debut in Sunday's series finale.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Garrett Richards (0-1) gave up three runs over five innings in his first career opening day start, a 9-0 loss to the Cubs. He is 8-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 14 career starts against the Rangers, including a loss to Cole Hamels in the Angels' 2015 season finale. LHP Hamels (1-0) goes for Texas.

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