Rangers Lose Game, Win Series Vs. Twins
By Ben Davila
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.
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Moving forward, will this team keep up their unlikely pace? Maybe not. Maybe so. The returns of Belts and Hamilton loom eventually. The hitting will only improve when they’re ensconced in the lineup once again.
The eventual returns of Holland and Matt Harrison will present the good kind of problem, in regards to where they stash all these arms.
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.
Keep the scores close and give yourselves a chance in September (and maybe October?).
This band of unlikely scrappers has won back the hearts and minds of a fan base who wondered where all the good times went.
We’ve got a month-and-change until Cowboys-mania begins to overtake the landscape again, and with good reason. Tony and the ‘Boys left us more than a shred of hope and positive vibes that 2015 could be Super.
Until then, a truly unlikely contender could continue to gel and surprise a lot of folks who don’t follow our beloved Rangers. It’ll be interesting to keep up with in the coming days and months.
Go Rangers!
Next: Texas Rangers: Taking a Look at Dillon Tate
- Published on 06/15/2015 at 12:00 PM
- Last updated at 06/15/2015 at 04:08 AM