Audio By Carbonatix
What started so promising … ended with a whimper.
The Rangers won the first six games of the 10-game road trip. Late last Thursday night they were three outs from an eight-game lead in the AL West. Then Mark Trumbo took Mike Adams deep, Texas’ offense evaporated in Chicago and, just like that, the lead is right back where it was a week ago: four games.
Not to worry, the Rangers are still the class of the West. They’ll win this division.
But yesterday, for the first time in a long time, was about as ugly as it gets.
The Rangers couldn’t do anything with Gavin Floyd and left Chicago without a run in their last 15 innings (since Ian Kinsler’s second Saturday homer). And Derek Holland’s performance was laborious at best. Thankfully, I had to leave at the end of his 40-pitch third inning for a Cowboys’ pregame show.
Ten-zip is never fun to watch.
Holland — remember the bit about him being a Jekyl/Hyde-type pitcher? — couldn’t throw fastballs for strikes consistently and had no bite on his breaking stuff.
The Rangers were due for a clunker. Sunday’s blowout defeat was the first time since July 31 they’ve lost a game by than three-plus runs. That’s three consecutive weeks of pretty solid baseball.
Today the kids are back in school and the Red Sox are back in Arlington. Fall can’t be far off.
