Rangers Sweep Kansas City, Finally Showing Signs of Life

Despite a lot of doom and gloom in the early going, the Texas Rangers found much needed momentum in sweeping the struggling Royals.

We finally got a glimpse of the potential this Rangers’ squad possesses. If the opener of the four game set versus Kansas City was any indication, it could be an turning point in this campaign. The image of third baseman Joey Gallo crossing the plate and spiking his helmet spoke volumes. This bunch needed a cathartic moment.

Concurrently, if a pitching staff needed a shot in the arm, they found one on the same evening. When your starter and relievers combine for twelve innings of shutout ball, it’s nothing to sneeze at. This is especially true when one takes into account how woeful the bullpen had been to that point. You take improvement any way you can get it.

Along that line, Andrew Cashner’s and Nick Martinez’s efforts on Thursday and Saturday were superb. While neither picked up a win, both put up very solid outings and gave the team a chance. Most importantly, though, was the work of the beleaguered aces. Up until this weekend, the starts from Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels left a lot to be desired. Hamels shut the door on Friday night, and Darvish kept his mistakes to a minimum yesterday. Both recorded excellent eight-inning outings, thereby making the sweep a reality.

Now, what does it all mean? It could mean quite a bit, actually. Not for nothing, but save for three or four disastrous bullpen meltdowns, the Rangers probably should have a winning record. The starting pitching, by and large, hasn’t really been the issue. The relievers, on the other hand, laid a few stinkers out there. And the batting lineup hasn’t done a lot of favors, either, in terms of top-to-bottom consistency.

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In fact, let’s stop right there for a moment. The Rangers currently sport a paltry .207 team batting average. That, friends, is good for next-to-last in the American League. Furthermore, If your name isn’t Elvis Andrus or Nomar Mazara, no one in the entire lineup is sniffing .250. In fact, the next closest player is Shin-Soo Choo and his .216 average. Yet through it all, the Rangers have the fifth most runs in the AL. For all the bad vibes and ill winds, the short and long term hope is that this offense will eventually play to their paper and gain an air of stability.

Also, one cannot dismiss the absence of their captain. Future Hall of Fame third baseman Adrian Beltre continues to work through the calf strain he suffered before the season started. While his presence in the dugout and locker room remain, the swagger this team normally carries just isn’t there at the moment. This is no fault of their own. When the emotional center of your team isn’t on the field, you’re going to miss it. This is simply something they’re going to have to ride out until Beltre returns.

Make no mistake, overcoming adversity is a hallmark of this team under manager Jeff Banister. As catastrophic as some of these games appear, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. You’re never as bad as it may seem. While the Rangers undeniably looked lost at times, they’ve exhibited the same resolve of years past. If they start putting it all together moving forward, then look no further than Delino DeShields’s walk-off single on Thursday night. Games like that can galvanize a team for a sustainable period.

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Six more games await on this home stand. I mentioned to a friend at the outset of this stretch that the Rangers needed to go 7-3 in order to keep pace. They start with three against Minnesota and finish with three divisional games versus the Angels. Splitting those six is pretty much necessary in order to consider this run a success. If they do that, it will be a nice springboard for future prosperity.

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