Today is the last off day of the regular season for the Texas Rangers. 

The next ten games will determine how many off days they  have beyond that. The race couldn’t be any tighter and the stakes couldn’t be any bigger.

Houston leads the AL West by half a game over Seattle and Texas. But they have a huge advantage. Seattle and Texas play one another seven times over the next ten games. That means both teams cannot gain on them. One could, but both can’t. Because, one of those two teams is guaranteed to lose in seven of those games. 

It also means that any of these three teams could win the West or not make the playoffs at all.

It does no good trying to determine or predict. There are just too many variables. The Rangers self-inflicting wounds landed them here.

All that matters for the Rangers is they have to win. They have their full offense back, plus Evan Carter. The only way they will win is to continue doing what they did the last two games against Boston. 

They have to bludgeon the other team. They have to score so many runs they overcome every start by Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, and Cody Bradford. They have to score so many runs they overcome every pitch of every inning thrown by their bullpen.

That’s all.

The offense needs to take the day off, catch its breath, get its bearings, then put up historic numbers the next ten games.

Rest up, gentlemen. And good luck. 

*****