Next 10 Days Could Decide Fate of Rangers
Here's Gil LeBreton's column from August 3 in the FT Worth Star-Telegram
They survived the 100-degree days of July. They survived the .225 hitting days of June.
They have survived losing their closer, their leadoff hitter and their hero from last season’s Home Run Derby.
If manager Ron Washington’s Texas Rangers have proven anything this season, it’s that they are resilient. Adaptable. Stubborn.
The perfect qualities, if you ask me, for chasing the division-leading Angels.
How do you catch a team that never seems to lose?
When the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim completed their three-game sweep of Minnesota on Sunday, 13-4, it raised their record over the last 15 games to 13-2. They are 16-3 in their last 19 road games.
On June 11, the Angels were 29-29 and trailed the Rangers by 4 1/2 games. Since that date, the Angels are 34-11 — the best record in the major leagues.
Going into Sunday’s game, the Rangers were 24-19 during the same span. Not a bad ledger — the same pace over an entire season would bring them 90 wins — but they lost nine games to the Angels in the standings.
The Angels, granted, have had their own share of problems, beginning with rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart’s tragic death April 9. As of late, both Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero have been on the disabled list.
But if anyone can catch Los Angeles, it’s going to have to be the Rangers, who’ve already beaten the Angels seven of nine times.
The Rangers’ 10-game road trip begins tonight with the first of four games in Oakland. They’ll face the Angels in Anaheim for three games beginning Friday.
We’ve made the mistake already this season of declaring a particular road trip as win-or-bust. The Rangers have survived every hiccup, even when the lineup hasn’t had the services of Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Frankie Francisco.
The Rangers, you could say, have even survived pneumonia (Francisco) and the swine flu (Vicente Padilla).
Yet, the Angels never seem to lose. Pardon me for scratching my head over this.
They were supposed to be head and shoulders above the rest of the AL West in pitching. And no doubt, any staff would find room for a Jered Weaver or a John Lackey.
But here’s a profile to digest — 12th in the American League in ERA, 12th in hits allowed, 10th in strikeouts, first in number of starting pitchers used (12) and first in number of rookie pitchers (10) employed.
The Rangers’ staff has better numbers in almost every category.
One month of unfamiliar statistics could be a fluke. Two months could be deemed an anomaly. But here it is August, and Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux’s staff ranks ahead of the Red Sox and Angels in hits allowed and ahead of the Yankees and Angels in ERA.
It’s their hitting, in other words, that will determine the Rangers’ fate between now and October.
Two major things have to improve if they expect to catch the Angels. Kinsler, for one, might think his 23 home runs are irreplaceable, but against right-handed pitchers he’s batting .206 with a .283 on-base percentage — worse than any other leadoff hitter in the majors.
Secondly, Hamilton needs to continue to find his swing. His .220 average and 29 RBI after Sunday’s game has had a ripple effect on the entire lineup.
Fortunately for the Rangers, June is over, taking its hitting drought with it. Like a bear waking from a long nap, Rangers hitters are stretching and starting to find themselves.
While Hamilton still looks for the key that will unlock his season, third baseman Michael Young has lifted the team on his shoulders and carried it on his back. It’s as if something happened at the All-Star Game that has elevated Young’s game to another level.
If they’re going to chase the Angels, the Rangers would be wise to follow him.
The club failed to add Roy Halladay — or anyone else, for that matter — at last week’s non-waiver trading deadline. Manager Washington, for one, could have used the extra help. Boston, the Rangers’ closest rival in the wild-card race, strengthened itself with deadline trades.
Beginning tonight in Oakland, 25 of the Rangers’ next 35 games will be on the road.
Recent history tells us they’re too stubborn to let that bother them.
If anyone can catch the Angels, we’ll probably soon find out.
posted by Wake of the Flood at 2:03 PM
2 Comments:
What a great season! Neftali Feliz was amazing in his major league debut. CJ had another meltdown. But overall, I don't think this was a devastating loss. Good baseball evens out in favor of good teams in the course of a season.
I think the worst thing that could have happened to the Rangers would have been if the centerfielder/leadoff hitter for next year had been traded. Pedro Bourbon is coming. The farm system is building some credibility with guys like Feliz, Holland, Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus and Doug Mathis coming out of it.
I can barely remember Fernando Tatis being touted as the Next Great Thing.
Aiyee, there's the rub laddie. Are Pedro Bourbon and Brandon Boggs and Chris Davis a repeat of Tatis -- lots of hype he never lived up to, just a solid journeyman -- or are they comparable to the Yankees crop of players in the early 90's that gave the pinstripes 4 World Series rings? The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays all proved that you don't need a team superstar ala Reggie Jackson to win today. What you need is 8 very good position players and pitching. No one has to be the best at their position. Everyone has to be above average. That way everyone carries the load together. And you get 9 batters that can win a game for you. And as the Rangers are proving this year, solid defense makes your pitching staff look good. Old school shortstop with good glove and range does as much for team ERA as a strikeout king.
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