"It's Frustrating for These Guys" Rangers Own Baseball's Worst Record with Sixth Straight Loss

After going 10-10 in the first 20 games of the season, the Texas Rangers have gone 3-17 in the following 20 games. Needless to say, there's plenty of frustration to go around.

Despite a last-ditch effort in the ninth inning that brought the tying run to the plate, the Texas Rangers were swept in Seattle on Monday afternoon. The 8-4 loss was not only the sixth straight loss for the Rangers, but it gives Texas the worst record in all of baseball at 13-27.

The Rangers went 10-10 in the first 20 games of the season, which had them in serious contention for a playoff spot in the American League. However, they followed the up-and-down .500 start with a 3-17 record in the next 20 games. It completed changed the tide of the season, causing the Rangers to punt on the season and sell three veterans at the trade deadline.

“It's just the lack of consistency, honestly," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. "Each game, I feel like there's turning points where either they get a big hit and we don't, or we don't make a big pitch and they do." 

Since the deadline, the Rangers have fully committed to the youth of the organization. The commitment has even relegated veterans like Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor to lesser roles on the team. To add injury to insult, the Rangers may have lost their most consistent veteran player for some time with Shin-Soo Choo suffering a wrist sprain sliding head-first into home plate on Monday.

It seems that no matter what formula Chris Woodward comes up with, no matter what mix of rookies and veterans are in the lineup, the Rangers are finding numerous ways to lose.

"Looking at every game, the first three games in the series we could have won," Woodward said. "Today, we had to rally down six in the ninth. We can't lose focus on those moments and keep talking about them and saying, ‘If we execute there, when we make a pitch here, or have a quality at-bat in this spot, this may turn the tide.’" 

With so many young players being given larger roles and extended playing time, growing pains are to be expected. The Rangers have several younger players like Leody Taveras, Anderson Tejeda, and Eli White that truly needed some development in the minor leagues this year, but couldn't get any because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The starting pitching has been as much of a letdown as anything else on the 2020 Rangers. Lance Lynn has been remarkable, but Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles have been no where near where the Rangers need them to be. And a young pitcher like Kolby Allard, who is trying to make a bid for a spot in the 2021 rotation, has been wildly inconsistent since Texas lost Corey Kluber for the season.

"It's frustrating for these guys," Woodward said. "I know that. They gotta keep understanding what it takes to win and not lose sight of that, because it's easy to kind of get numb to losing. And I don't want that. I want the fight to stay there. Like I said, ‘Don't forget this. Don't forget this feeling. Don't let it go away. Let it sink in a little bit to push you a little bit the next day.’”

Despite the numerous flaws and inadequacies on this team, there have been some bright spots. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a .300-hitter through 40 games, Jose Trevino has unequivocally taken over the starting catcher role, and Nick Solak remains a consistent hitter. However, it isn't nearly enough to make the Rangers a formidable team.

"I mean, I would be lying if I said it's not frustrating to lose," Solak explained. "It's not fun to lose. We don't want to lose. We want to win and celebrate wins and have fun in the clubhouse after wins; that's what we want to do and that's what we're working towards. And it might not be going like that right now, but ultimately, that's always the goal, and what we're working towards."

The Rangers begin the final third of their season with a seven-game homestand over the next six days. The Rangers will host a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels beginning on Tuesday, then welcome the AL West-leading Oakland A's for a four-game series over the weekend. Saturday will feature a double-header to make up for the game the A's sat out in protest to raise awareness for racial equality in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

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