Rangers have final shot for AL West
Now, all of a sudden, they have just one game to make sure it doesn't slip away completely. Just one game to be sure the Oakland Athletics don't swoop in and snatch the division title from a club that has owned it for nearly three seasons.
The Rangers haven't played up to their capabilities down the stretch. They aren't hitting the ball with any consistency and are struggling to come up with key hits with runners in scoring position. They've run into a few outs on the bases and have made some costly defensive mistakes. The starting pitching has been up and down and they have dealt with injuries of late, too.
Put it all together and the Rangers have lost eight of their last 12 (and four of five) and must win Wednesday afternoon against the surging and improbable A's to avoid a win-or-go-home, one-game AL wild-card game Friday.
It's amazing to think that a club that has led the division by itself since April 9 is now tied with the A's with just one game left in the 2012 regular season. This same A's team was once 13 games back of Texas in the AL West, but slowly and surely chipped away at that lead. They've now pulled even.
Read the full story here.
Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Richard Durrett
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast Ron Washington joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss the magnitude of Monday's win against Oakland, how he plans on using Jurickson Profar and how to handle a struggling ballclub.
Play Podcast Nolan Ryan joins Galloway & Company to discuss the Rangers' six-game losing streak and how to get out of their slump.
Play Podcast General manager Jon Daniels joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the Rangers' offensive struggles, injuries and the plan for Jurickson Profar once Ian Kinsler returns from the disabled list.
Play Podcast Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss the Rangers and a potential game-changing trade target for Jon Daniels and company.
Play Podcast Neal Cotts joins Galloway & Company to discuss pitching for the Rangers.
Play Podcast Nolan Ryan joins Galloway & Company to discuss the latest Rangers news, the mistakes the team has been making and possible trades.
Play Podcast Steve Busby joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about the Rangers' road trip, surviving an 18-inning game and more.
Play Podcast Eric Nadel, the radio voice of the Texas Rangers, explains on Galloway & Company the bullpen situation that forced Ron Washington's hand in the Boston finale.
UPCOMING GAMES
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK | 42-30 | 22-12 | 20-18 | L1 | |
| TEX | 39-31 | 20-14 | 19-17 | W1 |
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK | 42-30 | 22-12 | 20-18 | L1 | |
| TEX | 39-31 | 20-14 | 19-17 | W1 |
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK | 42-30 | 22-12 | 20-18 | L1 | |
| TEX | 39-31 | 20-14 | 19-17 | W1 |
TEAM LEADERS
| WINS LEADER | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Yu Darvish
|
|||||||||||
| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| BA | A. Beltre | .308 | ||||||||||
| HR | N. Cruz | 18 | ||||||||||
| RBI | N. Cruz | 48 | ||||||||||
| R | A. Beltre | 40 | ||||||||||
| OPS | A. Beltre | .869 | ||||||||||
| ERA | Y. Darvish | 2.64 | ||||||||||
| SO | Y. Darvish | 127 | ||||||||||
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