Shorthanded lineup buckles in Texas

ARLINGTON — Mike Trout needed a game to rest his legs as the designated hitter on Tuesday, so right-handed power hitter C.J. Cron sat against a lefty. Johnny Giavotella, the 5-foot-8 second baseman with 10 home runs in 290 career Major League games, batted fifth. And the four hitters behind him — Carlos Perez, Gregorio Petit, Rafael Ortega and Shane Robinson — had combined for a lifetime batting average of .243.

The result: One run and seven hits, with none of them coming amid seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Shorthanded as it might be, the Angels’ offense has stepped up of late, scoring more frequently than all but four teams in May. But there will be nights like this, when a guy like Martin Perez has his good stuff and can carve his way through a lineup that isn’t as deep as intended when the season began.

“We know what the other guys bring to the table — they’re all ballplayers, they’re all going to go out and play hard, and have been playing really hard lately,” Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun said after a 4-1 loss against the division-rival Rangers at Globe Life Park. “We just came up a little short tonight.”

The Angels …

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