The Game of baseball is more like life than people tend to admit. In baseball, as in life, you tend to go through rough patches. Sometimes you’ll find yourself heading down dark tunnels with no visible light in sight. The good news, however, is that nothing lasts forever. Given the Texas Rangers skid as of late, they’re probably holding on for dear life to this very truth. Since the All-Star break, the Rangers have lost nine straight games. One can only imagine what the atmosphere is like inside their clubhouse. It can be hard to keep your head up during a time like this, but you have no other choice. Hopefully, Rangers’ manager Chris Woodward can find something, or someone to play the role of a set of jumper cables for his ball club.
Cellar Dwellers
As of Thursday afternoon, the Rangers carry a record of 35-62. That’s good enough for last place in the American League West. Their current nine-game losing streak dates back to before the All-Star break in mid-July. The last game that they won was against the Oakland Athletics on July 9th. Ever since then it has been, for lack of a better term, sweeps’ week, for about two weeks straight. Their latest sweep was handed to them on Thursday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. From there, they’ll return to the Lone Star state to begin a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Friday. Then, they’ll make a much-needed return back to Arlington to begin a two-game series on August 27th against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This series will be the start of a nine-game home stand that will also see the Rangers face the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels.
Power Bats
In a situation like this, it really is important to look on the bright side. The Rangers have two of the most powerful bats in their lineup at the moment. Outfielders Joey Gallo and Adolis Garcia have put on quite a show in 2021, and they are showing no signs of slowing down whatsoever. Between the two of them, they have a combined total of 46 home runs on the year. The first half of the season has been less than spectacular, to say the least, but these two have kept people coming out to the ballpark. If anyone can stop the Rangers skid, it’s these guys. Some might wonder if someone has been putting out a different pregame spread for these two. Whatever it is, they should share the wealth.
Quietly Productive
Another guy worth watching so far in 2021 has been right-hander Kyle Gibson. He has quietly been having one of the most productive seasons of anyone in the league. He has a record of 6-2, with an earned run average of 2.86 over 18 games, all of them starts. Over the course of 107 innings pitched, he has struck out 90 batters, and he has given up 33 walks. His WHIP sits at 1.13. He has certainly kept his team in the games that he has pitched, even when the decision didn’t work out in his favor. More good news is that he’ll get the ball on Saturday against Houston. During this Texas Rangers skid, that’s the kind of guy that you want to get you back in the win column.
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