Everything seemed to be going well for the Texas Rangers this season.
They got off to a fast start and were looking like one of the best teams in all of baseball.
All the money they spent on free agents was seemingly paying off.
On April 8, the Rangers played their way into a playoff spot, and they stayed there until this past series with the Houston Astros.
The Rangers got swept in Arlington by the reigning World Series champs.
The sweep knocked them out of the playoff picture and 0.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot.
The Rangers made moves at the deadline to try and improve their roster.
One of the moves was trading for future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.
But he has not pitched very well since joining the Rangers.
In his most recent start on Wednesday, Scherzer threw three innings while giving up six hits and seven earned runs.
Max Scherzer against the Astros tonight:
3 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K pic.twitter.com/QmCkfnMEFG
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 7, 2023
He never even gave the Rangers a chance to compete in this game.
Once they got down 7-1, it was seemingly all but over.
In seven starts with Texas, Scherzer has a 3.63 ERA.
While that is not bad, they need more out of him.
The Rangers will not be in the playoffs if Scherzer cannot turn his season around.
They already lost Jacob deGrom for the year.
So, if Texas cannot find another solid starting pitcher to pair with Nathan Eovaldi, they may be in serious trouble.
Even though things seem bleak in Texas, they still have everything right in front of them.
But, they have to earn their way into the playoffs over the final few weeks.
NEXT: Corey Seager Is Thriving At A Key Position