Limping toward the finish line, this American League team is looking for answers
Leaders of the American League West since the beginning of the season, the 72-54 Texas Rangers have watched their current six-game losing streak allow division rivals to close the gap for first place.
With the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners both less than two games behind the Rangers, a slip to a wild card or missing the playoffs remain possibilities should their downward spiral continue.
During their losing streak, the Rangers have only managed to score more than three runs once and have failed to look like the offense that has scored the second-most runs in the MLB with 708 and that featured five All-Stars in 2023.
Two of those All-Stars, outfielder Adolis Garcia and catcher Jonah Heim, both have struggled since the start of the second half by combining to hit .191 with 17 XBH and 29 RBI. The Rangers also lost All-Star third baseman Josh Jung to a fractured left thumb and have struggled to replace him in the lineup.
While the club's starting pitching has not been a problem during its skid, the bullpen has been having more than enough trouble for them both. After acquiring relief pitchers Aroldis Chapman and Chris Stratton as a part of their efforts to reload for the playoff push, they have watched their formerly reliable bullpen arms falter.
With relievers Brock Burke, Josh Sborz and Will Smith allowing a combined 16 runs over their last 11 innings pitched – good for a 13.09 ERA – the Rangers will need them to figure it out before it's too late.
With the upcoming month of September filled with matchups against teams also fighting for the playoffs, the Rangers will need to figure things out fast or they could very well slip completely out of the picture if they continue to struggle to close out the season.
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