Big Innings Late Hurt Rangers: Angels 9 Rangers 6

It’s a relief to realize that spring training games really don’t have any bearing on the regular season. The Rangers lost Thursday afternoon for the sixth consecutive time, falling to the Angels 9-6 despite a 3-0 lead after batting in the fourth. Their record of 6-14-1 is bringing up the rear in the Cactus league. .

For what it’s worth, the Angels, who have a proven track record of winning AL West championships, aren’t much better, going 7-12 during their time in Arizona. So the matchup lacks the fervor it would carry in the regular season.

A Julio Borbon triple past center fielder Torii Hunter followed by a Michael Young RBI single in the third gave the Rangers their first run. Borbon’s speed once again helped the Rangers. Rangers starter Derek Holland, the only hurler to shutout the Angels last season, pitched three scoreless innings.

Two more Rangers crossed the plate in the fourth. Chris Davis led off with a double to right field and got to third on a Bobby Abreu error. He scored on a 2-2 double off the wall by catcher Taylor Teagarden. After an Elvis Andrus groundout, Borbon singled to score Teagarden, who averted a play at the plate. More runs could have scored had Vlad Guerrero connected on a ball he drove to third for the final out of the inning. The at-bat served as a firsthand look at the free-swinging slugger. He swung at a pitch that bounced home and clearly doesn’t know how to take anything but a big swing.

Trouble surfaced for Holland, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, in the bottom of the inning when he surrendered three singled in a row to Hunter, Hideki Matsui and Kendry Morales, who tallied an RBI. A 5-4-3 double play left a runner at third, which scored thanks to a Howie Kendrick single. Holland was also called for a balk in the inning.

But the real problems came after Holland left the mound. Alexi Orgando allowed three hits, two earned runs and two walks in 1/3 of an inning. Ben Snyder, a Rule 5 pick, tried to stop the bleeding but allowed three hits, three earned runs and two walks of his own. Neither guy is expected to make the squad, especially after those outings.

Newly-acquired catcher Matt Treanor hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

The next televised spring training game is Sunday afternoon.