Texas Rangers Not Discouraged After Rays Series

The Texas Rangers return for a seven-game homestand after have their six-series winning streak snapped at the Tampa Bay Rays.

© Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

If this is considered a slump, Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy isn’t about to lose a wink of sleep.

Sure, the Rangers (41-23) have dropped three of their last four games and lost a series for the first time in nearly a month with the 7-3 loss Sunday at the Tampa Bay Rays.

But when you’ve been the hottest team in Major League Baseball since late April, a weekend lull is no reason for panic. As long as it doesn’t spiral.

“We’re disappointed we lost the series,’’ Bochy said, according to MLB.com. “But we played well.’’

The Rangers returned to Arlington comfortably on top of the American League West – lead is five games over the second-place Houston Astros (37-29) – with a division rival on tap. The third-place Los Angeles Angels (36-31) are 6.5 games back and invade Globe Life Field for four games starting Monday night.

Texas is 14-5 when facing the AL West, including 2-1 against the Angels, and has yet to drop a series within the division (6-0). The Rangers send Dane Dunning (5-1, 2.52) to the mound for the opener, as Los Angeles counters with Tyler Anderson (3-1, 5.62). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Despite losing the finale in Florida, the Rangers loaded the bases with one out in the ninth. Ezequiel Duran came up as the tying run against Rays closer Jason Adam before grounding into a game-ending double play.

“You play all 27 outs and you’re hoping you can get one into the gap, but we came up short,’’ Bochy said. “We let a one-run ballgame get away from us, but the bullpen held them in check and we kept battling.”

The much-maligned bullpen came through in the last two games of the series. Texas relievers didn’t allow a run in 7 1/3 innings after the Rangers dropped the opener Friday. José Leclerc, Grant Anderson and Yerry Rodriguez gave Texas a chance Sunday to come back.

Sunday starter Martín Pérez had his shortest outing of the season. Still, he tried to put it all in perspective as the Rangers come back to their friendly confines.

“We have a good team,” Pérez said. “We’re going to do special things.”

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