Photo Courtesy: Darryl Briggs
The Texas Rangers have avoided losing a third consecutive series after beating the Oakland A’s two games to one in a three-game series at Globe Life Park. Unfortunately, the Houston Astros came back and beat the Los Angeles Angels after scoring five unanswered runs in the ninth inning, and now the Rangers are still 1.5 games behind them for the first place position in the A.L. West. If the Rangers sweep the Astros or win three games, they will be in first place.
Colby Lewis took the mound for the Rangers looking to snap a three-game losing streak. And this turned out to be a great night for Colby Lewis. One might say it was a night that was almost perfect for him as he didn’t allow a hit until the eight inning. Pitching a full nine inning game, Lewis allowed only two hits, surrendered zero runs, and struck out four batters. The Rangers offense produced but were still struggling as they finished with a total of eight hits and a combined six strike-outs. The Rangers came out on top with a 4-0 win, snapping Lewis’ three game losing streak.
Yovani Gallardo pitched for the Rangers in Game 2. It started out okay for him, but in the fifth inning, things went completely out of control for him as he allowed five runs in the inning and was then done for the night. In a very short night pitching in just 4.1 innings, Gallardo allowed seven hits, surrendered five runs and struck out only three batters. The Rangers offense finished the night with a total of nine hits, but were struck out a total of nine times, with slugger Prince Fielder going 1 for 5. The Rangers had a 1-0 lead thanks to a Mike Napoli solo home run in the first, but in the fifth inning things went bad for the Rangers as they found themselves down 5-1. In the ninth, they scored two runs to spark a comeback, but they fell short and lost 5-3, snapping Gallardo’s five-game winning streak.
Chi-Chi Gonzalez took the mound for Game 3, and the Rangers were looking to go back on winning series as they had lost the last two. Gonzalez allowed just two hits, surrendered three runs, and struck out only two batters. The Rangers offense looked excellent in this game, finishing with a total of twelve hits and striking out only six times. The Rangers finished with a big 12-4 win to win the series against the A’s and to bring some momentum for the next series against the Houston Astros.
The Rangers now have a four-game series against the Houston Astros. This is it for the Rangers. They now have a chance to grab the first place spot in the A.L West. In order to do that, they’ll have to win three out of the four games, or at best, they’ll have to sweep the Astros. Game 1 is tonight and Cole Hamels will be on the mound for the Rangers. The Rangers have come a long way to be this close from being in first place. They’ll have to be more focused than they’ve been all season.
Upcoming Schedule – All Times CT
9/14 vs Astros 7:05 pm
9/15 vs Astros 7:05 pm
9/16 vs Astros 7:05 pm
9/17 vs Astros 7:05 pm
9/18 vs Mariners 7:05 pm
9/19 vs Mariners 7:05 pm
9/20 vs Mariners 2:05 pm
