ARLINGTON – Well within reach of a postseason berth 10 days ago, the Rangers knew their final long homestand could be where they launched a charge into the playoffs.

Instead, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is the site where the Rangers all but bowed out of contention during a 2-7 homestand marred by soaking rains and an offensive drought.

Pitching, though, did in the Rangers on Sunday.

Derek Holland issued three homers and six runs in 5 2/3 innings, and the Los Angeles Angels scored three times in the sixth and seventh to rally to a 10-5 victory.

The Rangers were 5 ½ games back in the West but only two back of Boston in the wild-card race when the homestand opened Sept. 11. But the Rangers lost two games in the standings to the Angels and a whopping six to the Red Sox in only nine days.

"It was either make or break us, and that's what it was," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "We all knew it was important. We just didn't play well."

A 7-2 homestand, even with both losses to Los Angeles, would have left the Rangers only 2 ½ games down in the West and three back in the wild-card race with 14 games to play.

"We keep falling back, falling further and further back," outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "It makes it tough. We'll try to win as many games as possible and see what happens."

The offense disappeared for most of the homestand. The Rangers suffered four shutouts in a five-game stretch and scored only once in 48 innings.

But the bats started early Sunday against John Lackey, jumping on the Aledo resident for three two-out runs in the first on singles by Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz.

The Angels countered with two in the top of the second, the first of three times that Holland couldn't keep momentum in the Rangers' dugout.

AP

Texas Rangers' David Murphy (left) congratulates teammate Hank Blalock after both scored in the first inning Sunday.

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The Angels' Juan Rivera hit a solo homer in the fourth to offset a Rangers run in the third. Holland's inability to give a shut-down inning continued after Byrd had given the Rangers a 5-3 lead in the fifth.

Holland (7-12) entered the sixth with a manageable 76 pitches, but Vladimir Guerrero beat the infield shift with a single to right, and Howie Kendrick tied the game two batters later with a shot into the left-center-field seats.

After recording his fifth strikeout, Holland surrendered an opposite-field solo homer to Gary Matthews Jr. to put the Angels up, 6-5, and send Holland out of the game.

The Angels put the game away in the seventh with three more two-out runs. Jason Grilli replaced Neftali Feliz with two outs, and gave up a walk to load the bases. Kendrick then tripled to center off the glove of a stretched-out Byrd.

Kendrick finished 3-for-5 with five RBI, and Holland saw his ERA jump to 6.17.

"Devastating, that's a harsh word," manager Ron Washington said. "You never know what might happen. They may go on a losing streak, and we may continue to play good baseball and go on a winning streak. They haven't put an X by our name yet, so our heads are still high."