Less than a year after winning the World Series, the Texas Rangers are beginning to sound as if they are conceding they will miss the playoffs this season.
The Rangers enter their Tuesday game against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 11 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and 12 1/2 games back of the final AL wild-card spot.
“For sure, this is tough,” Rangers shortstop Corey Seager said before hitting two home runs in a 4-3 win against the Pirates in the opener of the three-game series on Monday. “Knowing what we were, where we were, and not playing well when you are expecting to win, is really difficult. We expected to play well. We haven’t.”
Despite winning the series opener, Texas is still on pace for fewer than 75 wins.
“You get to this point of the season and you’re at where we’re at, sure, nothing’s impossible, but you’re realistic,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.
Before their victory on Monday, the Rangers had not won consecutive games since taking five straight from July 21-25.
“We don’t want to give up,” Texas third baseman Josh Jung said. “We’re not in the best of situations at the moment, but (let’s) just go out there and compete every night. … Just try to go win every at-bat.”
Texas will attempt to make it three straight when it sends left-hander Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.50 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday.
Bradford did not earn a decision in his most recent start, on Thursday against the visiting Minnesota Twins. He allowed two runs and six hits in six innings and left with the score tied 2-2 before the Twins pulled out a 3-2 win with a run in the top of the ninth.
He has not faced Pittsburgh in his two major league seasons.
The Pirates plan to counter with Mitch Keller (10-7, 3.95).
Keller lost his past two starts, allowing a combined 15 runs and 15 hits over nine innings and surrendering four home runs in that span.
He most recently gave up a season-high eight runs in an 8-2 loss to the host San Diego Padres on Wednesday, the final defeat of Pittsburgh’s 10-game losing skid.
“It feels like whatever I’m throwing up there right now is getting hit,” Keller said after that contest. “Try to go back, look it over, see what’s working, what’s not working and why it’s happening and just be better about it.”
Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said there were some bright spots in Keller’s past two outings, especially the quality of his fastball against San Diego.
“We’ll kind of build off that,” Shelton said. “The last start was probably the best fastball he’s had since April. The off-speed stuff wasn’t there. It’s just one of those things where we got to get him back on track.”
Keller has never faced Texas in his six-year major league career.
The Pirates recalled outfielder Billy McKinney from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, and he went 2-for-4 with a run scored in his team debut.
Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes was placed on the 10-day injured list due to back inflammation.
–Field Level Media
