Introduction to the Rangers’ Road Trip
The Texas Rangers’ road trip started with a bang but ended with a thud on Wednesday. Despite winning the first four games of their two-city trip, they dropped consecutive games to Arizona, highlighting the harsh reality that their lineup is mostly made up of unproven players. The storyline was all too familiar: a misfiring offense that added up to a 2-0 loss to Arizona.
The Reality of the Rangers’ Situation
The loss to Arizona combined with Tuesday’s 5-3 loss marked the first time the Rangers have lost consecutive games since August 18-19. In the two losses, the Rangers went 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position, making it the 13th time they’ve been shutout this season. This is the sixth most shutouts in a season for the club since the designated hitter was introduced in 1973, with 21 games still to play.
Assessment of the Road Trip
Despite the disappointing end to the road trip, it was still considered a good trip. It was the Rangers’ first winning road trip since late May, when they won four of six against last-place teams in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. However, it raised the question: At this point, is good good enough? Joc Pederson, with 11 years of major league service time, said, "Good is good enough. I think we’ve made up a lot of ground. We have big series coming up. But we’re in a beautiful spot compared to where we were or where we thought we might have been a couple of weeks ago."
Manager’s Perspective
Manager Bruce Bochy shared his thoughts on the road trip, saying, "It’s a good road trip, but if you win the first four, you want to get greedy and have a great road trip. We’re just missing with runners in scoring position. You take that trip, but we aren’t satisfied with it." When they returned to Texas, the Rangers were two games back of Seattle for the last American League wild card spot and five back of Houston in the West, pending the results of Wednesday’s games.
Upcoming Games and Challenges
The Rangers don’t have any more games against Seattle, but they do have six against Houston, including three this weekend in Arlington. This presents the club with an opportunity to make up significant ground quickly. They also play three at Houston, September 15-17. In addition, the Rangers’ remaining 21 games represent the fourth-most difficult schedule, according to Tankathon. Wednesday’s loss highlighted how difficult the Rangers’ task is, with literally no room for error.
Recent Loss and Performance
The loss to Arizona was a hard reminder that energy and attitude are important but temporary without execution. Jack Leiter continued his strong finish to his rookie season but wasn’t quite as aggressive as he would have liked in the first two innings, leading to a pair of runs. The team’s first error in 20 games, the longest errorless stretch in club history, hurt them when Jake Burger bobbled and kicked a grounder in the second, allowing a runner to score.
Mistakes and Their Impact
Every mistake at the moment costs the Rangers. They put the leadoff man on base four times and failed to score. Alejandro Osuna made a key out on the bases when he read a ground ball up the middle prematurely and ended up in a rundown. Manager Bochy said, "Just a fundamental mistake by a kid. I like the way he’s playing. Just a mistake. He thought it was up the middle and he learned from it." At any other time of year, it would have been a minor detail, but it’s September, and the Rangers are still in a playoff race, making every mistake costly.
The Path Forward
The Rangers are still in a beautiful spot compared to where they were a couple of weeks ago, but they have a drastic climb ahead of them. Seattle holds the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams, and one of the two teams ahead of them is guaranteed at least two more wins because Seattle and Houston face off in a three-game series in two weeks. The Rangers need to capitalize on their upcoming games against Houston to make up significant ground quickly.
Conclusion
The Texas Rangers’ road trip was a mixed bag, with a strong start followed by consecutive losses to Arizona. Despite this, it was still considered a good road trip, but the question remains: Is good good enough? The Rangers have a challenging path ahead of them, with no room for error. They need to execute and capitalize on their upcoming games to make a push for the playoffs.
FAQs
Q: What was the outcome of the Rangers’ road trip?
A: The Rangers won the first four games of their two-city trip but dropped consecutive games to Arizona, ending the trip on a disappointing note.
Q: How many games back are the Rangers from the wild card spot?
A: The Rangers are two games back of Seattle for the last American League wild card spot.
Q: What is the Rangers’ schedule like for the remainder of the season?
A: The Rangers have 21 games left, representing the fourth-most difficult schedule, according to Tankathon. They play six games against Houston, including three this weekend in Arlington.
Q: What is the key to the Rangers’ success for the remainder of the season?
A: The Rangers need to execute and capitalize on their upcoming games, minimizing mistakes and making the most of their opportunities to score.
Q: How important are the upcoming games against Houston?
A: The games against Houston are crucial, as they present the Rangers with an opportunity to make up significant ground quickly and stay in the playoff race.
