Rangers Lose Game, Win Series Vs. Twins

126. 4. 2. Final. 3

The Texas Rangers fell two runs short of a sweep versus the Minnesota Twins yesterday. Just like last Sunday versus the Royals, though, a series win had been secured with victories on both Friday and Saturday.

Going back to May 4th, the Rangers have won eight of their last twelve series, and have lost only two in that span. What has been lacking in defense has improbably been made up for with pitching and timely hitting.

This team just continues to grind. The starting pitching generally gives them a chance to win day in and day out, with few exceptions. Who among us thought this would’ve been possible without Yu Darvish and Derek Holland?

Moreover, who could fathom them holding together offensively without the tough-as-nails Adrian Beltre and their forever-enigmatic wunderkind, Josh Hamilton, for extended periods?

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Be it baling wire and duct tape, managerial smarts on the part of skipper Jeff Banister, or a combination of both, the Rangers have posted a 25-14 record dating back to May 4th.

To that point, the Rangers had staggered to 8-16, prompting Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket’s Bad Radio to open with audio from this famous scene. What could’ve been more appropriate?

The results since then have been nothing short of staggering. The team gelled. They gambled and brought back the aforementioned Josh Hamilton, which I chronicled here.

And no matter the roster move–and since they’ve overcome the putrid start–they’ve put together what amounts to roughly a quarter-season of very solid baseball. Infield follies notwithstanding, the Rangers aren’t the band of bums that started this year’s campaign.

In the meantime, when you’re getting clout like this from Mitch Moreland and Joey Gallo, your present-day problems don’t seem so problematic. The tedious nature of a baseball season only dictates a manageable pace, in terms of the win-loss record.

They’re showing grit, grind, and pluck. And in doing so, they’re mainly winning. This has, of course, manifested itself in fantastic team chemistry. As “they” say, winning cures all.

And despite Sunday’s loss, they gave themselves an excellent chance to pull off the sweep. It warrants mentioning–and a measure of concern–that Texas pitching allowed twenty-four total bases on a homer, four triples, four doubles, and yet only lost by a run. Ranger pitching allowed shots to the power alleys all afternoon yesterday.

It’s a tribute this team’s ability to grind and play to the final out that they were in it to the bitter end.