Next up, a three-game series with the N.L. East leading Phillies. After beating the Yankees two out of three, if they can do the same thing about Philadelphia, that would be huge.

The Rangers have played 116 games and still have so many question marks. The offense is better but still is firing a lot of blanks. 

Marcus Semien dug himself into a deep hole in April and May, climbed back out in June, then slipped back down, hitting .214 in July and off to a .160 average in August, with little power. He bats third.

Adolis Garcia has done a similar disappearing act. As bad as he was in the first half (.234 AVG, .279 OBP, .682 OPS), he’s actually gotten worse in the second half: .184/.225/.567, with a high strikeout rate. In Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Texas, Garcia made the final out of the inning five times. He bats fourth.

Wyatt Landford is also languishing in the second half, hitting .231, with an on-base of .342, and a dismal OPS of .665. He bats fifth.

The problem is, those three batters are the heart of the Rangers order, batting three, four, and five. If this lineup was a person, it would be in need of a serious heart transplant. A cardiologist would be on speed dial.

But this is the team they have, and there are no reinforcements coming. Jake Burger is on the I.L. but he’s more of the same. Underperforming. At first blush you’d think, why not just move them down in the order. But for who? Remember, this is an offensively challenged team that did not reinforce its offense.

The lineup is the lineup. Semien, Garcia, and Langford have to step up. The Rangers need the heart of its lineup to start pumping. They need defibrillators.

*****