Let’s face it, the Texas Rangers were destroyed in three straight games over the weekend, and it was hard to watch. Really hard to watch. The Angels man handled them in all aspects of the game, they out-pitched, out-hit, and out defensed the Texas Rangers. But it happens in baseball. The Rangers went into Houston earlier this season and took a three game set when the Astros had just won 10 games in a row. Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, and even though the Texas Rangers lost three games in the standings to the Angels, they only lost one game in the standings to the Astros and it was just one series. I can also recall a series in 2010, right before the All-Star break, where the Rangers with newly acquired pitcher Cliff Lee, that they went into Baltimore and were swept by the Orioles in a four game set. They did go on to play in the World Series that year.
I am not saying that it wasn’t bad, because it was, but what I am saying is that is is over and the team has to get ready for the Diamondbacks. Yovani Gallardo comes into the series riding a 29.1 innings scoreless streak, and streak that he hopes to keep alive Tuesday night, and Rangers fans are very excited to see the return of Matt Harrison on Wednesday night. The Texas Rangers are sitting one game under .500 at 41-42, and they are facing teams that both are sitting below .500 as well. If they split with the Diamondbacks and beat the Padres two out of three, they will be sitting at 44-44 at the break, and if you would have told me this team would be sitting at .500 at the break at the end of April, I would have called you crazy.
The Rangers are getting back the a fore mentioned Harrison, Martin Perez and Derek Holland at some point in the second half of the season, plus Nick Martinez and Chi Chi Gonzalez will get to work to perfect their craft in the minors and may have a chance to make an impact in the second half of the season. I wouldn’t count this team out just because they looked terrible against the Angels in one series at home, and place they have not been playing well this season. If they look that bad in the next two series, then I would most definitely start panicking. Until then, lets all hope that we have some good baseball to enjoy over the next 7 days until the All-Star break.
