Five in a row. The Rangers have just authored their longest winning streak of the season.

Is it enough? Well, certainly it’s better than losing. 

When the Rangers last lost, on July 4, they were 39-48, the Astros were 45-42, and the Mariners were 48-41. Texas was 8.0 games behind Seattle and 6.0 games behind Houston.

After winning five in a row, Texas is now 5.5 games behind Seattle and 3.5 behind Houston. They’ve gained 2.5 games in the standings. 

The reality is, Seattle is only renting first place. The Mariners are the Mariners. They will not hold on. They never do. The West is either Houston’s or Texas’s. The Rangers are finally, just now, showing signs they would like to compete for it.

For the Rangers, a lot is riding on the three games in Houston on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A sweep would be monumental. It would catapult the Rangers past the Astros. Winning two of three gains them one game. Not bad, but certainly not enough. Anything less—losing two of three, which drops them a game in the standings, or being swept, which catastrophically drops them three games—and the Rangers have serious decisions to make at the trade deadline.

The future of this team is up to the players. They are finally gelling. Lucky for them, they are playing in a division that nobody is running away from. 

It’s up to the Rangers to keep running in the right direction. 

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