The start to Matt Shoemaker's season hasn't just been more like his disappointing 2015 year than his breakout '14. It's been far worse.

Any good involved has come on the road, and the Los Angeles Angels right-hander has a shot to continue that and end a largely rough April on a high note Saturday night. He'll just have to do it against a Texas Rangers team that crushed him in his first start.

Shoemaker (1-3, 6.87 ERA) went 7-10 with a 4.46 ERA last season after posting a 16-4 record and 3.04 ERA the season before. He dug himself more of a hole in Sunday's 9-4 home loss to Seattle, surrendering seven runs and six hits in three-plus innings. Two of those hits left the yard for a second straight game, and he's walked 10 in 18 1/3 innings.

At home, he's 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA. Away, he's 1-1 with a 1.46. Over his career, he's been far better at home, so manger Mike Scioscia isn't concerned with venue.

"Matt is really sensitive to commanding counts; he's really sensitive to locating his fastball," Scioscia told MLB's official website. "When he does, he pitches great. When it's not there, in these two starts in particular, he's had a little trouble righting his ship and getting back to where he needs to be. It's something he's going to have to figure out."

One was a 7-3 home loss to Texas on April 8. Shoemaker gave up six runs and seven hits in three-plus innings after winning his first four starts in the series, including 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA at Globe Life Park.

The day before that, Derek Holland took a no-decision for Texas in a 4-3 loss. Holland (2-1, 3.13) is 9-6 against the Angels but it comes with a 5.52 ERA. Albert Pujols is 8 for 25 with three home runs and three doubles in their matchups, but C.J. Cron (0 for 8) and Kole Calhoun (2 for 10) have struggled.

More recently, the left-hander gave up three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-1 road loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. After being limited to 15 starts the previous two seasons, the Rangers can't be displeased with his April. In fact, it may go down as the best of his career after going 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five April 2013 starts.

Holland will be asked to continue a string of strong pitching. The Rangers (13-10) opened the three-game series with Friday's 4-2 win for their third straight victory after a four-game skid. They've allowed five runs in three games, the rotation has posted a 2.75 ERA over the last six, and the bullpen has put together nine scoreless innings.

At the plate, Prince Fielder drove in his 1,000th career run, but the slugger's sitting on two homers this season.

"You look up and see the numbers and where he's at, it's a testament to him," manager Jeff Banister said. "You've got to be in the game for awhile and you've got to hunt RBI. I have been on the other side (with Pittsburgh) of a lot of those RBI. I am happy to be on the same side."

Los Angeles (11-12) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end, though Mike Trout doubled and singled to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He has reached base in 15 straight and is batting .438 on the streak after opening the year at .220.

The Angels have also gotten strong relief work lately with 11 1/3 scoreless in the last four games, but they'll have to keep it going without Huston Street. The closer landed on the 15-day disabled list after straining his left oblique on Wednesday.