The Rangers finished a week that featured three ugly losses in appropriate sartorial fashion.

The season reached its official halfway point at game eighty-one on Friday. Thirteen weeks in the books. Thirteen more to go.

It was one of the more forgettable weeks the Rangers have had in a while.

Texas went 3-4, splitting a four-games series in New York and losing a three-gamer against the Twins in Minnesota.

It was the how the Rangers lost three of those four that gnaw at you. Giving up six in the ninth on Wednesday. Losing on a passed ball in the ninth on Thursday. And getting blown away 17-5 on Saturday.

A whole lot of sloppy defense. A lot of walks. Pitch counts over forty in one inning. A catcher who couldn’t catch a ball. And a catcher who pitched better than the pitchers who pitched. And two two-game losing streaks.

The week did, however, start with one of the more satisfying comebacks of the year. Raingate. A game in which it took the Rangers three-and-a-half hours to move a runner from first to second in the ninth inning. After that, they moved a lot of runners.

Hamels dropped a brilliant start on us this week in New York. And a clunker in Minnesota.

Chi Chi Gonzalez simply dropped his meat in the dirt. In two major league starts that would qualify as anything but major league, he pitched a combined 5.2 innings, giving up twelve hits, nine runs, walking four and striking out just two. For a stellar ERA of 14.29.

But as uninspiring as Gonzalez was, he was nothing compared to the Rangers bullpen. Or at least half of it. It was not a week that makes the highlight reel. Wilhmelmsen’s popped up right and left.

It was the tale of two bullpens, though. Some contributed more. Others less.

Luke Jackson pitched three total innings. But it felt like three thousand. Cesar Ramos proved why he is a journeyman pitcher. And Sam Dyson picked up two huge saves. And had one epic blown save.

Here is the good and the bad of it.

Let the second half begin.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Nick Martinez (1-1, 5.00) vs. Rick Porcello (9-2 , 3.78)
Game time: 12:35 pm

How the Rangers hit against Porcello.
How the Red Sox hit against Martinez.