In the past eighteen innings, the Rangers have scored no runs, and collected just seven hits, only one of those for extra bases.

It’s been nearly seven years since the Rangers were shutout twice in a row at home. To find the last time that happened, you have to go all the back to 2009.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2009, against Oakland, then the next game (with an off day in the middle), Friday, September 18, against the Angels.

But if you want to find out the time before that, you’d have to go all the way back to two days prior. Sunday and Monday, September 13 and 14, 2009, against Seattle then Oakland.

In fact, the Rangers played five games in a row that week where they scored only one run.

They lost 5-0, 9-0, 6-1, 4-0 and 2-0. Only a David Murphy home run on Tuesday, September 15 prevented the Rangers from being shut out five games in a row at home.

Who can forget that team? Jarrod Saltalamacchia catching. An infield of Chris Davis Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, and Michael Young. Hank Blalock at DH. And an outfield of Josh Hamilton, Andruw Jones, and Nelson Cruz, with David Murphy and Marlon Byrd to back them up.

That was 2009. And everybody knows what happened after that. The Rangers went bankrupt. And to the World Series.

So, after two straight shutouts at the hands of Detroit Tigers pitching, history says there is hope on the horizon.

***

Some stats:

The Rangers are eighth in the league in hitting at .250, second in home runs, and tenth in runs scored in the second half. They are 15-14.

Also in the second half, the Rangers are ninth in team ERA at 4.18, have given up the sixth most hits and the seventh most earned runs. They are eleventh in batting average against, at .257 (Baltimore, by comparison, is first at .224), and ninth in WHIP at 1.30. They are 15-14.

For the season, the Rangers lead the league in games won on a Monday, with nine, but are next to last in team ERA on Mondays, at 4.78.

They are 7-6 so far in the month of August.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Ross Detwiler (1-0, 2.13) vs. Martin Perez (7-8, 4.22)
Game time: 7:05 pm

How the Athletics hit against Perez.
How the Rangers hit against Detwiler.