DALLAS — We’re all quite aware of this, but baseball is a weird game. Bad losses and good wins can seem like they happened weeks ago, when it was only days. Hitters and pitchers can go cold and hot at practically the snap of your fingers. Things that look like they take a tremendous amount of effort are really just the product of using less effort and vice versa.
You lose games you should win, you win games you should have lost. Sometimes it’s one guy, sometimes it’s everybody. In this week, we saw the very worst and the very best of the Texas Rangers in 2018.
May 17-23
- Opponents: @Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees
- 7-Game Record: 3-4
- Overall Record: 20-31, 12.5 Games Back of Houston
- Injury Report: Elvis Andrus (60, Fractured Elbow), Carlos Tocci (10, hip contusion), Martin Perez (10, right elbow discomfort), Matt Moore (10, right knee soreness), Adrian Beltre (10, hamstring strain)
- Notable Stats: Games in a Row with Home Runs for Ronald Guzman (3), RBI during stretch for Guzman (5), Number of Hits Allowed by Pitching Staff during stretch (42), Innings Pitched by Starters during stretch (37.1), IP by Relievers during stretch (23.1), Joey Gallo Slash during stretch (.174/.240/.348), Rougned Odor Slash during stretch (.115/.192/.269)
On the Mound
We’ve reached the point in the season, and potentially a little later than would satisfy most fanbases, where significant changes start being made due to performance. From out of nowhere, Matt Moore, who turned in yet another disaster of a performance (five runs allowed, four earned in 3 2/3 innings pitched), found himself on the disabled list the following day to allow his right knee to heal.
Indeed, if Moore has been trying to pitch through soreness, with a repertoire that wasn't going to dominate in the first place, then that’s foolish on several fronts. This could also be viewed as a last opportunity for Moore.
If Moore’s problems truly did stem from the knee soreness and he can heal up, come back, and contribute positively, then that’s great. If he comes back and is the same Matt Moore we’ve grown to dread see take the mound, then I don’t believe Moore finishes the year with Texas.
The lefty could meet the same fate as reliever Kevin Jepsen, who carried a significantly larger role in the bullpen and a significantly smaller investment from payroll. The team cut him loose after he gave up another home run in Saturday's loss to the White Sox.
Replacing Jepsen was Matt Bush, who, in his first appearance after his demotion, did not do any better than before his demotion, giving up two runs in an inning and two-thirds.
On the starter front, we might first and foremost congratulate Ariel Jurado on making his Major League debut. You wouldn't say it was a stellar debut, but by that token, you wouldn't say it was awful either. He gave up four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, while maintaining a calm and poised demeanor on the mound.
Jurado was sent back to the minors the next day, as Texas was trying to find innings after Cole Hamels missed a start in Chicago with neck soreness, in addition to having to fill Moore’s spot in the rotation.
Hamels returned to make his next start and had a great outing against the Yankees on Tuesday, giving up just two runs in seven innings in a start that the Rangers and their bullpen desperately needed.
Jared Sandler, the Rangers’ pre- and post-game host, probably purposely labeled the outing a “showcase.” With the Yankees as a sensible trade destination for Hamels, the veteran lefty picked the right time (and right team) to come back from a couple of extra days off and shove.
We saw the good and the bad from Doug Fister. In Chicago over the weekend, Fister went seven strong scoreless innings against the White Sox but he struggled mightily against the Yankees on Wednesday night.
Bartolo Colon, too, struggled against the Yankees in his start on Monday. But nowadays, if a pitcher struggles against the Yankees, you can’t really hold it against them, as New York has returned to its super-slugging ways.
At the Plate
Much like we saw the good and bad of the Rangers as a whole over the past seven games, we saw the potential and problem with the offense over the same stretch.
Texas was held to two runs against a retro-performance James Shields in the opener against Chicago and was buzz-sawed by rookie Reynaldo Lopez on the final game. Outside of those, the Rangers managed to score at least five runs in every other game. On the whole, that should be looked at as an accomplishment.
On a micro level, the best performances can be traced to Jurickson Profar, Nomar Mazara, Shin-Soo Choo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. In some order, you’re seeing those four as your 2-5 hitters and contributing in some form or fashion.
The rest of the lineup, though, is an issue. Delino DeShields is still maintaining an on-base percentage above .300, Ronald Guzman heated up during the Yankee series with a home run in each game, but there’s no telling if that’s going to be sustained, Joey Gallo has fallen off of the face of the earth, and Rougned Odor doesn't look like he was ever part of it in the first place.
As has been the theme for the season thus far, the offense needs to get all of its parts clicking at the same time. Five runs per game is a good pace to stay on, but if just a couple of those runs come in the first three innings and then the offense disappears after that, that’s not a recipe for success.
Imagine a fighter, coming out on fire during the first few minutes of a match, only to completely gas themselves in that initial flurry and wither towards the end. That’s what the Texas offense has looked like for much of the season. Wednesday’s finale against the Yankees was a great step in the right direction, as Profar and Kiner-Falefa had some key, run-scoring hits in the later stages of the game.
In the Field
Seven errors, seven unearned runs. Admittedly, four of those unearned runs came in the opener against Chicago, but the errors happened in every game but two. Jurickson Profar leads the club with nine errors, although he has cleaned up his defense as of late.
Every throw from Profar at shortstop worries you, even with Gallo or Guzman ably picking them at first. The bottom line is that the Rangers right now lead the Major Leagues with 47 errors – errors aren't like strikeouts for a power hitter. They’re not expected and they’re not accepted as long as you excel in another area of the game.
At any rate, Texas is taking a great amount of momentum into a four-game series against one of the worst teams in the American League by taking a series from one of the best. Of course, I thought that a four-game series against one of the worst teams in the American League last week was going to be a good time for Texas to regroup and they lost three of four.
But baseball’s a weird game.
Up Next:
- May 24-27: Kansas City Royals
- May 28-31: @Seattle Mariners
Do you think the Rangers will parlay their series win against the Yankees into a turnaround to their season? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB?
