Monday newsletter time: Don’t let a few hiccups take away from how well Rangers are playing
(AP photo/LM Otero)
The Rangers are 29-17, the third-best mark after 46 games in club history.
They are 12 games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2016 season.
They have been in first place in the American League West, tied or by themselves, for 51 of 52 days this season.
This is a good team. Fix the bullpen, and this is a really good team.
But perhaps now is the time to put things in perspective. Everyone might be getting a little greedy.
The Rangers finished off a three-game sweep of the Rockies on Sunday with an 13-3 victory. They finished a six-game homestand with a 4-2 mark.
Josh Jung, Corey Seager and Josh Smith homered. Seager, Marcus Semien and Leody Taveras drove in three runs apiece, and Andrew Heaney allowed one run over six innings.
They could have had a better record against the Braves and Rockies, and should have a better overall record, but don’t because the bullpen has been a problem of late. Leads, though, are blown more often than you might think during a season, and for whatever reason, bullpen meltdowns have been happening throughout the majors.
Guess what? The Rangers hitters who are hot know are going to slump. The offense is going to go into a collective slump at some point. The starters are going to have their hiccups.
All perfectly normal things over the course of 162 games.
That doesn’t mean you have to like it and be satisfied with the status quo in the bullpen, but understand that all teams will endure the same woes the Rangers have and will have the rest of the way.
The good news is it appears that the Rangers are going to hang around the top of the standings all season. They should get better, thanks to better health, internal improvements and player acquisitions.
So, don’t pull your hair out over a blown lead or a three-game losing streak or a key lineup cog going ice cold. It’s baseball.
This has been good Rangers baseball, finally. Enjoy it.
On the road again …
The Rangers’ travel-heavy May schedule resumes tonight at Pittsburgh and the beautiful PNC Park. The Pirates entered Sunday tied for first place in the National League Central but are only 4-13 this month.
Three games against the Pirates will be followed by a Thursday off day, three games at Baltimore and three games at Detroit.
That’s quite a lineup of visiting ballparks.
Three-city trips the past few seasons have been rough on the Rangers. Road trips of any length have been trouble. Outside of the three-game debacle at Cincinnati, though, the Rangers have fared well this season when not at home.
They actually have a winning record, at 13-9, with series wins at Houston, Anaheim and Seattle (and at bottom-feeding Kansas City and Oakland). Baltimore, which took 2 of 3 at Globe Life Field in the second series of the season, could be a playoff preview.
The Rangers don’t have another home game until next month, June 2.
ICYMI …
The Rangers have become a must-follow for area sports fans. The rebuild is over. They’re good and they’re going to get better as players return from the injured list and at the trade deadline with bullpen help. If you’ve been waffling about committing to them, it’s time to take the plunge. Rangers Today has you covered. Here’s our latest from a busy week, in case you missed it.
The Sunday Read: Leody Taveras settling in
Friday on the Farm: Possible bullpen options
Saturday’s game won in first inning
Ron Washington on Rangers Today Baseball Podcast
Doggy video
I hate weeds, too, pup. Enjoy.
Meet Penelope, AKA the dandelion huntress
(jukin media) pic.twitter.com/WRIm5XSoF9— theworldofdog (@theworldofdog) April 20, 2023
Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com
