OC Register: Costly error sends Angels to 5th straight loss

[AngelsWin.com]

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  Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws to the plate during the first inning of Friday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning looks on after allowing a solo home run to the Rangers’ Shin-Soo Choo during the first inning of Friday’s game against at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Logan Forsythe #41 congratulates Shin-Soo Choo #17 of the Texas Rangers after his solo home run during the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheimat Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  Texas Rangers’ Shin-Soo Choo, left, is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Drew Smyly #33 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the second inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheimat Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim runs to first base as he grounds out during the first inning of a game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  Texas Rangers starting pitcher Drew Smyly throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Brian Goodwin, right, starts to run to first after hitting a two-run home run while Texas Rangers catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa looks on during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Tommy La Stella #9 congratulates Brian Goodwin #18 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after his two-run homerun as Isiah Kiner-Falefa #9 of the Texas Rangers looks on during the second inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Brian Goodwin (18) is congratulated by teammate Tommy La Stella, left, after hitting a two-run home run as Texas Rangers catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa stands at the plate during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Cole Calhoun #56 congratulates Brian Goodwin #18 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after his two-run homerun during the second inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim lines out as Isiah Kiner-Falefa #9 of the Texas Rangers looks on during the fifth inning of a game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani lines out as Texas Rangers catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa watches during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Texas Rangers left fielder Shin-Soo Choo can’t reach a ball hit for a ground-rule double by Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Griffin Canning #47 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches during the first inning of a game against the Texas Rangersat Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo throws out Texas Rangers’ Nomar Mazara at first during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Texas Rangers’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa, left, is forced out at second by Los Angeles Angels short stop Zack Cozart on a ball hit by Shin-Soo Choo during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, shields his face from the sun as he stands on first during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Angels shortstop Zack Cozart is unable to handle a grounder hit by the Rangers’ Shin-Soo Choo in the seventh inning of Friday’s game at Angel Stadium. The miscue led to a two-run inning for the Rangers, who held on to win 4-3. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Tommy La Stella #9 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim catches a fly ball hit by Joey Gallo #13 of the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Shin-Soo Choo #17 is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on an RBI single by Hunter Pence #24 of the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Logan Forsythe #41 is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on an RBI single by Hunter Pence #24 of the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM — The Angels miss Andrelton Simmons already.

Zack Cozart, filling in at shortstop for Simmons, made an error to open the two-run seventh inning that flipped the lead in the Angels’ 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Albert Pujols, who has taken the No. 4 spot in the batting order while Simmons is out with a sprained ankle, also came up empty with four runners on base.

The Angels’ fifth straight loss came on a night when Griffin Canning had pitched a solid five innings and left with a 3-1 lead built on homers by Jonathan Lucroy and Brian Goodwin.

Justin Anderson allowed a run in the sixth, and the lead got away in an ugly seventh.

Cam Bedrosian entered to face the top of the Texas order, and Shin-Soo Choo greeted him with a smash right at Cozart, who was shading up the middle. Cozart knocked the ball down but couldn’t pick it up in time to make a throw to first.

Bedrosian then threw a 3-and-2 pitch over the inside corner to Logan Forsythe, and it was called a ball. The pitch appeared to be a strike, which would have been a double play because Lucroy made a throw to second in time to get Choo, who was running on the pitch.

A groundout moved both runners into scoring position. Hunter Pence then singled into center to drive in the runs, taking second when Mike Trout kicked the ball for his first error since April 2017.

The Angels could have had a bigger cushion before the trouble in the seventh.

The homers by Lucroy and Goodwin in the second were the only runs the Angels could manage against lefty Drew Smyly, who brought a 6.51 ERA into the game.

In the fifth, David Fletcher led off with a single and he went to third on Trout’s double.

The Angels couldn’t score, though. Shohei Ohtani smoked a line drive right to first baseman Ronald Guzman, then Pujols struck out and Lucroy hit a flyout.

Unable to pad the lead, the Angels cost Canning a victory on a night when he maneuvered through five innings without his best stuff.

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The first batter of the game, Choo, hit a towering 439-foot homer to right-center.

Canning retired the next three, but then he walked two in the second inning, laboring through 45 pitches to get the first six outs of the game. In the third, he allowed the first two hitters to reach base with the Rangers’ three best hitters due.

Canning struck out Nomar Mazara on a fastball, got Pence on a flyout, and then struck out Joey Gallo, who swung through a 94 mph fastball at the top of the zone.

After that, Canning pitched a perfect fourth on seven pitches and got out of the fifth, finishing his night with 95 pitches.

Although Canning did a nice job to get through five innings with only one run, his high pitch count left the Angels to try to milk the final 12 outs from the bullpen.

More to come on this story.

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[Glen]

The offense falling asleep also had something to do with it.