ARLINGTON, Tex. — Ryan Johnson’s return to the Dallas-Fort Worth area produced the best performance of his young career Saturday night.
The Los Angeles Angels rookie carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed only one hit over a career-high seven innings, leading the Angels to a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
Johnson, who grew up in Red Oak, Texas, and played collegiately at Dallas Baptist, walked two and struck out three while throwing 57 of his 88 pitches for strikes. Michael Fulmer worked a scoreless eighth inning before rookie Ryan Watson retired the Rangers in order in the ninth for his second save, completing the Angels’ combined one-hitter.
“There’s nothing like coming back home and being able to play in front of tons of friends, tons of family,” Johnson told MLB.com. “The support from them is awesome.”
Johnson faced the minimum through the first three innings. He hit Jake Burger with a pitch to open the third, but Danny Jansen immediately grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Burger remained in the game until the fifth inning, when he departed with a left wrist contusion. X-rays were negative, and he is considered day to day.
A walk to Joc Pederson in the fourth represented the Rangers’ only other baserunner through the first five innings. Johnson received some defensive help when Christian Moore made a sliding stop on Corey Seager’s hard ground ball to record the first out of the fourth.
Cody Freeman finally ended Johnson’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the sixth. After retiring the next two batters, Johnson walked Seager to put two runners aboard, but he fielded Wyatt Langford’s slow roller and threw to first to escape the inning. Freeman’s single proved to be Texas’ only hit and its only opportunity with a runner in scoring position.
“I didn’t feel much pressure,” Johnson said of pitching in front of friends and family. “I was kind of just free. I felt like it’s the preparation that got me here. I was able to trust in that and go out there, play and have fun.”
Johnson improved to 3-7 and earned his first victory since July 19 while lowering his ERA to 5.75. It was the second time this season that the 24-year-old took a no-hit bid deep into a game. He previously pitched six no-hit innings against Baltimore on June 23 before allowing a hit in the seventh.
The outing continued an encouraging stretch for Johnson, who has a 1.69 ERA over his last four starts after allowing four earned runs in 21⅓ innings. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki credited Johnson’s recent improvement to greater confidence and a simplified pitch mix centered around his cutter.
“I thought he was great,” Suzuki told MLB.com. “I feel like he’s been trending up. Stuff’s getting better. He’s getting more consistent. He’s believing in himself. I think tonight was just a culmination of him believing in it, trusting it.”
Zach Neto supplied most of the Angels’ offense, finishing 3 for 5 with two doubles, a triple and two runs. Neto, who went 5 for 6 against Houston on Thursday, opened the game with a double to left-center and scored on Mike Trout’s bloop single to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.
Trout began the sixth with a double and advanced to third on Vaughn Grissom’s lineout before Moisés Ballesteros drove him home with a double off the right-field wall. Neto added a triple in the eighth and scored on Grissom’s single for the final run. Trout and Ballesteros each finished with two hits as the Angels collected 10 overall. Reuters
Johnson outdueled another Dallas-Fort Worth product in Rangers starter Cody Bradford, who grew up in Aledo and pitched at Baylor. Bradford fell to 0-2 after allowing two runs on seven hits over 5⅓ innings.
The Angels improved to 52-78 and earned their 11th shutout of the season. They have won eight of their first 12 meetings with the Rangers this year.
Texas fell to 64-66 and was shut out for the 10th time this season, including twice in its last four games. The Rangers have scored two runs or fewer in four consecutive games as they attempt to remain in the American League playoff race.
The teams will conclude the three-game series Sunday. Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who has not pitched since May 29 because of shoulder inflammation, is scheduled to return against Rangers right-hander Cal Quantrill.