As we look ahead to 2015, it’s important to remember how well this team played at the end of the season. Here is re-post from September 14, 2014, to remind us all. Remember, the team coming into 2015 is much stronger than what we saw at the end of last year.
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The Texas Rangers have swept just one series this year, winning three in a row over the Athletics on April 21, 22 and 23 at Oakland. A week later, they lost their swagger, getting swept by Oakland at the Ballpark.
Since then, they have been swept in eight more series.
One and nine in series sweeps. That, in a nutshell, is how you avoid October.
This series against the Braves is the Rangers forty-ninth series this season. In the previous forty-eight they are 13-31-4.
They have not won two consecutive series since May 29.
They have not even won three games in a row since June 14.
But the good news is, since September 12, the Rangers are tied for the best record in baseball at 2-0.
In fact, since September 12, here are the standings in the American League West
Texas 2 0 1.000 —
Los Angeles 2 0 1.000 —
Seattle 1 1 .500 .5
Oakland 1 1 .500 .5
Houston 0 2 .000 1.0
If the season started on Friday and the playoffs started today, the Rangers would be in the post-season for the first time since 2011.
Some of the individual stats since September 12 are staggering as well. Texas Rangers are among the league leaders all up and down the board.
Two Rangers are tied for the American League lead in saves, with one apiece: Cotts and Feliz.
Two Rangers are tied for the American League lead in wins, with one apiece: Bonilla and Klein.
And every single Ranger is just two away from the American League lead in home runs, which is two (Mike Trout).
A Ranger leads the league in getting picked off with one, as well. (Do I even need to mention it’s Elvis?)
Yesterday’s game was as weird as this weird season has been. In seven of the eight innings, the Rangers sent three men to the plate. The offense was AWOL in every single inning but one. But that’s all it takes when you are playing a team whose offense is as bad as your own.
It was only a Justin Upton gift error in which he dropped an easy fly ball with two outs in the sixth that allowed the Rangers to score at all. Upton’s dropped ball extended the inning for Elvis Andrus to punch one through the hole in right for a rare RBI. Then Odor, batting in the three hole in Tim Bogar’s lineup, doubled in the tying and go ahead runs.
The dormant Rangers were suddenly up 3-2. Then they had a return to dormancy.
And for once, the Rangers didn’t regift the lead back.
Lisalverto Bonilla bent, but didn’t break. He walked two in the first, and two in the fourth, and allowed two runs in the third on the only three hits he gave up. But he was good when he needed to be, and hung around long enough for the win, becoming the first Rangers pitcher in franchise history whose name begins with Lisa to get a win.
What a wonderful season it’s been since September 12.