Rangers Show Some Much Needed Moxie, Sweep Nationals

Despite losses in twelve of their previous sixteen games, the Texas Rangers found their hustle and grit in a weekend tilt versus Washington.

Okay, everyone who called a Texas Rangers’ weekend sweep, please step forward and claim your winnings. Bonus points if you had the coconuts to make that bold prediction against the one of the National League’s best teams.

Furthermore, the elements that made it even more of a surprise were on full display. You had solid starting pitching. There was timely hitting. The bullpen showed a steady hand. Finally, the base running provided just enough pressure to crack the Nationals’ defense. In the end, it equaled a winning formula that was as fun as it was unexpected.

Now, are they going to use this shot in the arm as the impetus for bigger and better things? The short answer is a cautious “We’ll see”. As rewarding as it is to get over on a very solid team, the Rangers own interleague play. Sure, the Nationals own one of the best records in the senior circuit, but the Astros loom. We don’t need a reminder of how the previous seven games against them turned out.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that the good times may come to a screeching halt starting tonight. But until then, let’s focus on what went down yesterday. This isn’t an attempt to downplay Friday or Saturday. Andrew Cashner pitched seven strong innings in Friday’s 5-2 win. Martin Perez labored over five innings, but kept his team in the game in what ultimately turned into a 6-3 victory in extra innings.

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No, the real story was yesterday afternoon. With a series win already in hand, would the Rangers get greedy and get the sweep? At first blush, the answer seemed a resounding “No”. Career minor leaguer Austin Bibens-Dirkx drew the start against the Nationals’ perennial Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer. There was no way Bibens-Dirkx would hold up, right? Wrong. All he did was go toe-to-toe with Scherzer for seven innings. In fact, it was Scherzer who blinked first, allowing three runs–two earned–before coming out in the eighth inning. From there, the Ranger offense took over and didn’t look back.

To add another layer of lunacy to the story, consider this. Bibens-Dirkx set a Rangers’ rookie record during the game by retiring nineteen batters in a row. If ever a spot start came out of nowhere, yesterday’s was it. A journeyman stood in the middle of the ring with a bona fide, top-of-the-rotation stud and came out on top. The end result was about as satisfying a win as the Rangers have had all season. Games like yesterday’s are what the teams of the last two years made a habit of.

So again, is this a sign of things to come? Who knows? Ask me in three days after they’re done with the Astros. Win two of three there, then let’s talk. It won’t be division title talk, but for all the Rangers have been through this year, they’re a good streak away from legitimate wild card discussion. At this point, all they can really do is play their way into the tournament and take their chances if/when they get there.

Next: Texas Rangers: Looking back at Nolan Ryan’s sixth no-hitter

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I’ve been alternately rough and affectionate with this bunch this year. They’ve deserved it at every turn. Right now, they deserve a little praise for showing up against a quality team. But one series does not a season make. A strong showing against the Astros would go a long way towards reestablishing a foothold in the playoff hunt.

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