Neto, Angels Blank Rangers in Middle Game

Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images

August 22, 2026

Angels 3, Rangers 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (Aug 22) — The Texas Rangers fell to the Los Angeles Angels, 3–0, Saturday in front of a crowd of 35,836. A multi-hit game by Zach Neto helped the Halos even this three-game set. Elsewhere, the Athletics edged the Houston Astros, 4–3, Saturday, meaning the Rangers remain one game out of first place in the AL West. They will have one final opportunity to win this series against the Angels Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 pm Central at Globe Life Field. Lefty Yusei Kikuchi (0–3, 5.81 ERA) will face right-hander Cal Quantrill (5–4, 3.13 ERA) in the finale.

Rangers – Angels Game Summary

The Angels promptly got on the board in the top of the first. Neto doubled to center off lefty Cody Bradford. Mike Trout brought Neto home with a single up the middle.

The Angels doubled their lead in the top of the sixth. This time it was Trout who led off with a double to center. On deck was Vaughn Grissom, who lined out to right. That brought up Moises Ballesteros, who scored Trout with a double to center.

The lead was extended to 3–0 in the top of the eighth off reliever Robby Ahlstrom. Neto collected his third extra-base hit of the game when he hit a leadoff triple that rolled into the right field corner and rattled against the wall. He had two doubles up to that point. Trout popped to Nicky Lopez at second to bring up Grissom, who drove in Neto with a single to right.

What Went Right for the Angels

It was the Zach Neto Show for the Angels on Saturday. As previously mentioned, Neto had three extra-base hits and scored two of their three runs in this contest. It’s nice when you have that kind of production coming from anyone in the lineup, but having it come from the leadoff spot is a very valuable weapon to have. Trout also had his RBI single in the first to plate Neto.

What Went Wrong for the Angels

The Angels scored three runs, but they could have scored several more. As a team, they left seven on base and went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Bradford Goes Five and Change

Rangers starter Cody Bradford made his fourth start of the season and took the loss after surrendering two runs, both earned, in 5 1/3 innings. The rest of his line was 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 80 pitches/56 strikes. Bradford allowed each of his first two batters faced to reach as the Angels went up, 1–0, in the first. He settled in over the next four frames, allowing three hits from the second through the fifth. In the sixth, he yielded doubles to Trout and Ballesteros, netting the Halos’ second run, before giving way to reliever Cole Winn, who escaped further damage.

Four of the seven hits against Bradford came with two strikes, as Angels hitters batted .400 (4-for-10) in two-strike counts Saturday. Bradford is 0-2 in two starts versus the Angels this season despite posting a 3.65 ERA in those outings. In four starts since being activated from the IL on August 5, Bradford sports a 3.05 ERA with four walks and 13 strikeouts.

Third Win for Johnson

Angels starter Ryan Johnson picked up the win to move to 3–7. He pitched seven innings while allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out three.

Saturday marked his first career start at Globe Life Field. He had two relief appearances in Arlington in 2025. Johnson faced the minimum through three stanzas and held the Rangers hitless through five innings for the second-longest no-hit effort of his career.

He set a career high in innings pitched in his outing Saturday. Johnson has struck out three or fewer batters in seven of 13 starts this year. The Dallas native owns a 1.32 ERA in four games (two starts) versus the Rangers. Johnson carries a 1.69 ERA in four starts in August to lower his season ERA from 7.63 to 5.75.

Reliever Ryan Watson picked up his second save of 2026 and first as an Angel after striking out one in a spotless ninth inning.

Schumaker’s Postgame Comments

After the game, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker made an assessment of the at-bats his offense took on Saturday. “It was a tough offensive day up and down,” he stated. “(Cody) Freeman got a hit and there were a couple walks mixed in, but just a really tough offensive performance. (Ryan) Johnson was really good. There were a lot of pull-side ground balls, not too many hits, or hard contact, I should say. So, it was a tough day at the plate.”