This next stretch of games is going to tell us a lot about the Rangers.

After yesterday’s off day, they play seventeen in a row starting today, thirteen of which are in division. Three at home with the Angels, then the first series against the Astros, at Houston for four, then to Seattle for three. Then, after one of those “two there, two here” series against San Diego, it’s three in Arlington against the Athletics.

At that point, the Rangers would have played thirty-nine games. Baseball convention says it’s at the forty-game mark that you really know what kind of team you have.

That would be then.

Some of the Rangers’ early season struggles could be cleared up by then, or, like Whack-A-Mole, a whole new set of problems could arise. Hauschild and Dyson created the bullpen mess, smearing its reputation and ERA. But even with Hauschild gone and Dyson out as closer, every bullpen is as reliable as a Texas weather in April. Any given go-to guy can go to pot at the blink of an eye.

The offense came alive late on Wednesday. Was that just a brief coming out of a coma? Or are they back among the living for good?

Will Tyson Ross and Adrian Beltre make their first major league appearances by then?

The Rangers go into this stretch down five games to the Astros. Check back on May 14. We’ll see what kind of team the Texas Rangers really are.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Tyler Scaggs (1-1, 4.44) vs. Nick Martinez (0-0, 1.29)
Game time: 7:05

How the Angels hit against Martinez.
How the Rangers hit against Skaggs.