The Rangers are making me regret my decision to stay up late for their west coast game against Anaheim. Fortunately for me (but not them), the Mavericks game against the Clippers was the real reason I decided to keep watch by my radio(s).

Texas got off to a promising enough start, with Phil Nevin going deep on John Lackey in the first inning to put a 2 – 0 lead to start the game. That lead was short-lived, however, as Garret Anderson batted Chone Figgins in to cut that narrow lead in half. Texas’s starter Kameron Loe could probably be forgiven for getting off on the wrong foot. His first inning included two hits, a wild pitch, and a throwing error on what should have been the third out, but he did only allow one run.

However, things began to spin out of control again in the next inning. Loe gave up a walk and four hits, including a triple and a ground-rule double. Another three runs and the Rangers were quickly down 4 – 2. The Angels snuck in an additional insurance run in the third when Darin Erstad scored on Adam Kennedy’s single down the center, but it proved unnecessary. After the first inning, Texas’s bats were almost silenced. Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock were the only Rangers to get past first base for the rest of the game, Teixeira on a wild pitch in the fourth and Blalock on a double in the ninth.

The Rangers now appear poised (but not fated) to begin another losing streak, this time in the Pacific Time Zone.

And, oh yeah- Lasorda for Commissioner.