Hot Streak Brings Good Vibes Back to Texas Rangers Clubhouse

It may not lead to a playoff berth, but the Texas Rangers are playing their best baseball since the early part of this season.

Sep 8, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers first base Nathaniel Lowe (30) hits a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Globe Life Field. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are winning again, even if it's too late for a run to a postseason berth.

After all, the Rangers are 7.5 games back in the AL West and 6.5 games back of the final Wild Card berth with 18 games remaining.

The Rangers have won 10 of their past 13 and the vibes are good in the clubhouse for the first time in months. And everyone has a theory.

For pitcher Andrew Heaney — who received a rare surge of run support in his win on Sunday — said a couple of weeks ago that he hoped his teammates would play "loose and free" for the final month.

So how does that look? To Heaney, it looks like what you've seen the past couple of weeks, including come-from-behind wins — nearly half of the Rangers' wins this year are come-from-behind — and an offense that finally seems to be infectious.

“I think guys are doing the exact same thing and have been in the same spot all year,” Heaney said. “It just feels a little different just because we’re winning more games and, inherently, you going to have guys that are happier and looser.”

The Rangers (70-74) were 51-52 on July 25 when they swept the Chicago White Sox. Texas swooned after that, losing nine of 12. Since Aug. 27, when they face the White Sox again, the Rangers are 10-3 and have trimmed 2.5 games off the divisional lead held by Houston.

The frustration with the offense, at times, has been noticeable with manager Bruce Bochy. He remarked during the homestand that everything seems flipped from a year ago. The offense that scored runs in bunches last year to a World Series title now seems to have to fight for every run it gets.

That's the nature of baseball sometimes. But that fight, Bochy said, is the nature of this team.

“I’ve said this many times — when you’re not getting base hits, you look kind of flat, but they’re not,” he said. “They’re trying out there and then you saw how they came to life and has some big hits.”

Josh Smith, who is having the best season of his career, thanks in part of regular playing time, believes the return of a particular player from injury — third baseman Josh Jung — has made a difference, especially now that the second-year pro is fully healed from the wrist injury that shelved him for four months.

Jung and Smith both had big hits in the series with the Los Angeles Angels, where the Rangers took three of the four games.

“Even when he got back … he was still trying to find his footing,” Smith said. “He’s been swinging a really good bat lately.

Marcus Semien hit a leadoff home run in Sunday's win. It hasn't been his best offensive season, and he's even — grudgingly — accepted days off this season. He sees the manifestation of Heaney's mantra as the Rangers hit the road for a series at Arizona on Tuesday.

“Anytime you’re scoring runs and hitting the ball out of the ballpark, it kind of loosens you up,” Semien said.