Playoff Hopefuls Fill Upcoming Stretch for Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers finish out June with a solid diet of sturdy opponents who are also in the postseason chase.

Matthew Postins | Jun 12, 2023

Playoff Hopefuls Fill Upcoming Stretch for Texas Rangers /

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The Texas Rangers’ weekend at the Tampa Bay Rays was just the start of a gauntlet of series heading into the Fourth of July.

Texas lost its first road series loss since the Cincinnati Reds on April 24-26 after dropping two of three to the Rays.

That series was just the start of a seven-series stretch in which the Rangers play five teams with winnings records. Eight of those games will be against American League West rivals, starting with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

The Rangers (41-23) have more wins after 64 games than any team in franchise history. To keep that pace, the Rangers will have to excel against what’s ahead.

Angels (Monday-Thursday)

The Angels (36-31) seem to have figured some things out, as they’ve won six of their last seven games against Houston, the Chicago Cubs and Seattle. They’re still in both the AL West race and the Wild Card race. But when the Rangers and Angels met in May in Anaheim the Rangers took two out of three. The Rangers will see Shohei Ohtani on the mound on Thursday against Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi.

Toronto Blue Jays (Friday-Sunday)

The Blue Jays (37-30) are fourth in the ultra-competitive AL East, where the Rays lead by 5 1/2 games over the Baltimore Orioles. The Blue Jays are just outside of the AL Wild Card right now. The Blue Jays have won seven of their last 10 games and they’ll be rolling into Arlington after a three-game set at Baltimore where they hope to bolster their postseason hopes.

At Chicago White Sox (July 19-21)

One of two Rangers opponents with a losing record during this stretch, the White Sox (29-38) are just 4 1/2 games out of the AL Central lead since the Cleveland Guardians are 33-33. So, are the White Sox a playoff team or not? The next few weeks may decide whether they’re buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. If nothing else, the Rangers could get a look at starting pitching that might be available at the deadline, including Dylan Cease.

At New York Yankees (July 23-25)

Like the Blue Jays, the Yankees (38-29) are trying to run down the Rays in the AL East. Unlike the Blue Jays, the Yankees would be a Wild Card team if the postseason started today. The Yankees are holding things together without outfielder Aaron Judge and pitcher Carlos Rodon. But the Yankees need both to make a serious charge. The Yankees could be looking for revenge after losing three out of four to Texas in April.

Detroit Tigers (June 26-29)

The Rangers get the Tigers (26-37) for four games after the road trip to Chicago and New York. By then, the Tigers might have more clarity on their AL Central hopes. Like the White Sox, they’ve got a losing record but are not out of the race (5 1/2 games back of Cleveland). When the teams met in Detroit, the Rangers won two out of three.

Houston Astros (June 30-July 3)

The strange, wraparound series that ends on a Monday gives the two AL West rivals their first opportunity to meet since the Rangers won two out of three in Houston on April 14-16. Plenty has happened since then. The Astros are well within striking distance of the Rangers going into the week. But their pitching staff is dealing with injuries and their big offensive acquisition, first baseman Jose Abreu, isn’t clicking right now. Still, the series gives the Astros a chance to make up ground — or the Rangers to create more space.

By the time the Rangers leave for Boston for the Fourth of July, they’ll be three months into the season and have a real sense of where they’re headed in the second half.

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Published Jun 12, 2023

MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers for Fan Nation/SI and also writes about the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. He also covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com.