From September 4-6, the Texas Rangers were swept by the Houston Astros, a direct foe in the fight for the AL West.
At that point, Rangers fans saw how their phenomenal season and a hypothetical postseason berth slipped through their fingers.
They would lose the first game of the subsequent series, against the Oakland Athletics, and at that point they had dropped 16 of their last 20.
However, the team rose from its ashes and has now won 11 of their last 15, including a sweep of another direct opponent in the quest for the playoffs: the Seattle Mariners.
Now, the Rangers can finally say they have some breathing room.
“The Texas #Rangers, left for the dead after being swept by the #Astros, suddenly have a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL West. Magic number: 5,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted.
The Texas #Rangers, left for the dead after being swept by the #Astros, suddenly have a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL West. Magic number: 5
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 24, 2023
Without Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, it has been the offense that has really stepped up in recent weeks.
Led by the incredible Corey Seager but with contributions from Josh Jung, Adolis Garcia, Marcus Semien, Nathaniel Lowe, Leody Taveras, Jonah Heim, and others including rookie sensation Evan Carter, Texas likely won’t lose a slugfest.
Seager in particular has been fantastic, needing just 112 games to reach 75 extra-base hits.
He has 42 doubles and 33 home runs, not to mention a fantastic .333 batting average.
Jordan Montgomery and Nate Eovaldi have also answered the call from the pitching side.
The Rangers’ pitching staff might not be the best in baseball, but it has been competitive and always gives the formidable offense a chance to win.
Now, Texas is 2.5 games ahead of the Astros for the AL West lead and the division crown is theirs to lose.
NEXT: Rangers Insider Highlights Team's Pitching Plan
