He’s back. Tanner Scheppers returns to the mound to torment Rangers fans by constantly flirting with disaster in two nail-biting innings.

Everybody has a friend or someone they know who just seems to always have bad luck. They live with a black cloud over them. They can’t ever seem to catch a break. They can’t seem to hold down a job, or hold on to relationships. Their car is always breaking down. They’re always short on cash. They can never seem to get ahead.

Mostly it’s their own fault but life seems to always roll over on them and play dead.

Watching the Texas Rangers last night, that’s what they remind me of this year. A sad sack friend who just can’t catch a break.

They finally scored some runs off their nemesis Marco Estrado. Six runs to be exact. On the strength of another five-run inning. Things looked to be going great. But they can’t hold the lead.

It was a story of disappointing pitching.

Starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx wasn’t great. He ran out of gas in the fourth inning and coasted to the finish line on fumes. But he came out of the game with the lead.

Then came perpetual dark cloud Tanner Dyson-Scheppers. He somehow got through two innings, facing nine batters with five reaching base. He flirted with disaster his entire time on the mound. Even disaster wasn’t interested.

But the game had that feeling it was going to crumble sooner or later. It would be later. The ninth inning. When Matt Bush, who has been shaky lately, couldn’t close out the game, giving up two runs to turn a 6-5 lead into a 7-6 loss.

And just like that, that down on his luck friend is calling you again with some sob story about how he  lost his job because he overslept but it wasn’t his fault because…

Because, yeah, whatever.

The Rangers can’t get ahead. At 34-35, they’re a very good team with a very mediocre record that can’t catch a break you see but it’s not really their fault because…

Because, yeah, whatever.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Francisco Liriano (3-2, 5.36) vs. Nick Martinez (1-3, 4.67)
Game time: 7:05

How the Blue Jays hit against Martinez.
How the Rangers hit against Liriano.