Growing up in Indianapolis, we always looked forward to Friday nights because we got to stay up late and watch Nightmare Theater, narrated by a character called Sammy Terry.

He’d introduce a horror film, make fun of it, then come back during commercial breaks and try to scare the little kids brave enough to stay up watching. It was mostly innocent fun.

The Rangers are doing their own version of Nightmare Theater late nights on Fridays. It’s not mostly fun.

For the second straight Friday, the Rangers bullpen has blown a lead and watched their opponents walk off in their final at-bat with a win.

Last Friday it was in Anaheim when Will Smith had his epic meltdown and blew a three-run lead in a game the Rangers lost in ten. 

Last night, the Rangers just couldn’t seem to keep Oakland down. Oakland? Is there a more tame horror movie villain than Oakland? They’re like the Casper the Friendly Ghost of horror movie villains.

But once again, another Friday Night Nightmare meltdown and the Rangers coughed up a 3-2 lead, a 4-3 lead, a 5-4 lead in the eighth, and, more disheartening, a 7-5 lead in the tenth.

Three Fridays ago, the Rangers blew a late lead against these same Oakland Athletics. 

Friday nights are shaping up to be horror shows for the Rangers bullpen. And not the fun kind you watched as a kid. 

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