Imperfect ten.


The Rangers weren’t able to take advantage of Jordan Lyle’s best start of the season, six innings of three-run baseball.

You have to say this for the Rangers. They are tidy.

With last night’s 3-2 loss in Seattle, the Rangers have now lost ten straight road games. And ten straight games in Seattle.

A perfectly imperfect ten.

The franchise record for consecutive road losses is, sadly, within reach. Twelve. Which they could tie tomorrow. With an off-day Monday, they could set their new record for futility of thirteen on Tuesday in Colorado.

Chris Woodward doesn’t boast a very worthy road record in his tenure as a Rangers manager. Last night’s loss puts the Rangers at 9-18 on the road this year, or .333. They were 6-24 last year, an embarrassing .200 “winning” percentage. Their road record in 2019 was a much more respectable 33-48, which put them at .407.

Historically, a team plays better at home than on the road, even though it’s the same game either place.

Go back and look at the Rangers fluke years when they were good. In 2010 they were under .500 on the road, but over in 2011, 2015, and 2016, which is what you’d expect.

It’s a long road back to respectability for this franchise. That road won’t stop being rocky until they learn how to win on the road.

Coincidentally, it’s the Rockies who can hand them their thirteenth loss in a row, perfectly underscoring the rocky road this franchise is on.

They are playing ugly. But tidy. You have to give them that.

*****
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