At this point, it really doesn’t matter whether the Rangers lose 1-0 or 11-0. Both yield the same result, an L in a rapidly diminishing supply of games. That their 11-0 trouncing came at the hands of the Astros is irrelevant. The Astros are not their target. Seattle is.

Seattle has a much easier schedule the rest of the way than Texas, but they still have to win those games, and last night they did, putting them back to their game-and-a-half lead.

With each loss, though, it’s getting increasingly harder to make a case for why the Rangers belong in the playoffs to begin with. Had they had their full compliment of players, yes. But if Eovalidi and Seager cannot return then there’s really not much hope of a long playoff run anyway. Yet again, who thought the Rangers were going to do what they did in 2023?

That’s the exciting part about the playoffs. You never know.

Last night the Rangers were shut out for the fourteenth time this season. How can a team that is so offensively-challenged expect to make the playoffs, let along advance far?

Jacob deGrom had a good outing, but not stellar. He has seemed to have a lot of those lately. Prone to the long ball. Just not quite as sharp as he’d like to be or he needs to be.

Ignore the 11-0 score. Eight of those came in the eighth and ninth innings when it didn’t matter. The Rangers offense was not going to catch up, able to muster just four singles.

Meanwhile, Seattle regained the game they lost on Friday to the Rangers in the wild card race. That’s the story, not another Rangers shutout or a humiliating loss to the Astros.

And let’s not talk about Kansas City for now. That’s a whole different set of scoreboard watching misery.

*****