More MLB: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Latest news & notes | Fantasy news
Wednesday's Texas Rangers-related events prompted Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas to make the following observation:
Today has to be the biggest #Rangers kick in the gut since Game 6. #wow
— Richard Durrett (@espn_durrett) May 15, 2014
You'll recall that in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, the Rangers fell to the Cardinals in impossibly excruciating fashion and then went on to blow an early lead in Game 7. What can possibly justify a comparison to that?
Well, first on Wednesday the Rangers learned that Martin Perez has a partically torn UCL and may require Tommy John surgery. Then they learned that Matt Harrison's back is hurt again and he may be facing spinal-fusion surgery -- surgery that could put his career in jeopardy. This, mind you, is a rotation that already has Derrek Holland, Tanner Scheppers and Joe Saunders aon the DL.
Then, a few hours later, the Rangers methodically blew a 4-0 lead to their in-state rivals. Here's how that ended ...
Like the man said, the Astros had dropped 15 straight series to the Rangers before what you saw above happened. Now Texas, for the first time since 2008, is below .500 this late in the season. The Rangers are also in fourth place, and in the AL only those Astros have a worse run differential.
Oh, they also used their ninth starting pitcher of 2014 in that loss. More to come. Emergency starting pitchers, that is.
On a team level, none of this is as bad as giving away the World Series, but it still makes for a pretty miserable day.
