When last we left our heroes....

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: ...your Texas Rangers are riding a 4 game losing streak into the series finale versus the hated Halos. The Rangers are 11.5 GB in the division. Ouch.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But somehow your Rangers are only 4.5 GB in the wild card standings, albeit looking up at 7 teams ahead of them. Still, there some hope. Some. But it's going to take more winning than losing for a prolonged stretch.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Still wondering if/when the front office is going to throw in the towel and start trading away big pieces. We will see.

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Rangers ride 3 game losing streak versus CLE into Miami series

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: They lost 3 in a row versus CLE. The Cleveland Indians. The almost alway mediocre to bad Tribe, ouch. And now they face a Marlins team that actually has something to play for, they're only .5 GB in their division.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Not much here.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: The Rangers are 8 GB in the division and 3.5 GB in the wild card standings. I don't know how much longer I can continue to say they still have shot at one of the wild card spots since going into today they're looking up at 7 other teams in the wild card standings.

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Rangers at .500 going into this afternoon's game versus CLE

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: CLE is also 31-31 going into the game today. The Rangers are as good and bad as CLE, at least that's what the win loss record to date reflects.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: With all injuries we should be glad that they're at .500 at this point.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Given that Robbie Ross, Tepesch, Scheppers and Nick Martinez have made as many starts as they have I'm ok with 31-31 at this point. Please let the Rangers just get a little healthy. Please. Of course they probably need a new training staff to try to figure out how to do that.

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That got ugly fast in the top of the 8th versus the O's

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: After 7 it was a tie ballgame, 2-2.

Then, Ogando and Cotts and Tolleson were hit like a drum in the top of 8. The O's batted around in the 8th, is that good?

After 8 the O's were winning 8-2. Ouch.

The Rangers only managed 2 runs on 5 hits through 8.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Saunders pitched an OK to good game, getting the Rangers to the 7th inning only giving up 2 runs. The game was tied 2-2 after 7.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Why can't Wash (or any manager in MLB) put in the Ranger's closer Soria (or any MLB closer) in the 8th and ask him to get 6 outs instead of 3?  Everyone would need to understand that depending on the number of pitches thrown by the closer that he might not be available the next day.

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Yu saves the series, 8 IP, 12 K's, gets win in getaway game versus Nationals

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: The offense managed only 2 runs on 10 hits.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: That was 1 run more than Yu and Soria needed to get the win and save.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Next up 3 at home versus Dr. Zaius and the ex-Rangers (Showalter and the O's).

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Rangers won the getaway game versus the Twins, won that series, now they're trying not to get swept in DC

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: In 2 games versus the Nationals the offense has managed 4 total runs. Tepesch came down to earth and managed to only make it through 2 innings yesterday.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Hey, they did take 3 out of 4 versus the Twins. And big picture, the Rangers are 6 GB in the division and 2 GB in the wild card race.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Yu goes today.

I've heard some local radio types talk about when/if JD and the front office will decide to blow this thing up and start retooling for next year and the future. I think if you're still in it at the All Star break that would be a tough sell to the fans and the players left over after any potential moves are made.

Just something interesting, the Twins franchise moved from DC in 1960 and changed its name to the Twins. In 1961 DC was given an expansion franchise again called the Nationals that in 1971 would move to Arlington, Texas and was renamed the Texas Rangers.

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Rangers in a pitching duel with with Joe Saunders on the mound. No, I'm not joking, really, Joe Saunders was in a pitching duel.

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Rangers managed only 1 run.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: 1 run was all they needed tonight versus the Twins. Leonys Martin stole second and Sardinas (who was playing SS after Elvis was ejected) knocked him in in the top of 7th.

Saunders went 5 and looked good after a shaky start. And then Soria came in for a quick 1, 2, 3 save in the 9th. Boom. Rangers win 1-0.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Rangers can win the series if they can win the getaway day game versus the Twins tomorrow.

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Rangers blow 1 run lead in bottom of 9, lose to Twins 4-3

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: First blown save for Soria. And he only has 8 saves all year.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: That's Soria's first blown save. Was bound to happen.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: How bad has the batting been this season? Actually not that bad when you look at certain stats compared to the rest of MLB. The Rangers are 8th in runs, 3rd in batting average, 3rd in on base percentage, and 13th in slugging percentage.

The pitching compared to the rest of MLB? As you might have guessed, not so good. The Rangers are 26th in ERA, 27th in quality starts, 29th in WHIP and 30th in batting average against. Yeah, that's more than not good. That's awful. That's how much the injuries to the Rangers' arms have hurt them this year.

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And the hits keep on coming...

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: I got nothing really, it was a nice win over the Twins 7-2. To nitpick, for the first time in a while Beltre had an off day at the plate.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: The offense again showed up, with 7 runs on 11 hits. And Nick Tepesch had a solid game on the mound.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Seriously, with all the injuries to the bats and arms no one would have been surprised if the Rangers would have continued their early losing ways.

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Did not see that coming, Rangers take 3 out of 4 from Tigers in Detroit

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Not much here. Scott Baker got roughed up in one Rangers loss. The only bad thing I can think of regarding the recent offense is that there's still not much power to speak of.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Where did this offensive explosion come from? Who knew losing Prince for the season would result in this type offensive production? At least for one series anyway.

And it's not like the Rangers beat a bad team with bad pitching, they beat Porcello and Verlander. And again rookie Nick Martinez pitched well in a win.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: 5 GB in the division, 1.5 GB in the wild card. This thing isn't over by a long shot. Next up the Twins.

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