Cincinnati's axing of general manager Wayne Krivsky on Wednesday frees the vultures to flock elsewhere, and they were last seen studying their GPS devices and the Texas Rangers' 2008 schedule.
It's been a brutal two weeks for the Rangers, an even worse road trip as Boston and Detroit obliterated their pitching and by the time the Tigers were licking their chops following Wednesday's 19-6 shellacking, Rangers manager Ron Washington was acknowledging that his job security maybe has seen better days.
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| This Texas pitching might cost Ron Washington his job. (AP) |
The Rangers' 5.40 ERA at midweek was the worst in the AL (only Pittsburgh's 5.66 is worse), and what's more alarming than ranking last in the league in earned-runs allowed and hits, is they've also walked and hit more batters than any other AL club.
Entering Thursday's series finale in Detroit, Rangers' pitchers had walked a staggering 109 batters. By comparison, Minnesota's staff led the AL with only 44 walks.
"When a team is not playing good and you're the manager, you're always in jeopardy," Washington told reporters in Detroit. "I've got those guys' backs out there. It's only April. You keep saying that, but when a team doesn't play well, that's the way it goes."
Then the Rangers were hammered again on Thursday, 8-2, and now they've lost 12 of their past 14 games overall and seven of nine -- including seven in a row -- on what turned out to be a miserable nine-game trip.
Their staff ERA was 7.95 during the nine games in Toronto, Boston and Detroit. Their starters' ERA was 6.35 and, in games Monday (Boston), Tuesday and Wednesday (Detroit), their starters failed to last more than three innings. Their gassed bullpen was forced to work 17 1/3 innings during that stretch.
Kason Gabbard slipped on the Fenway Park mound Monday and was placed on the disabled list with a stiff back. Rookie Luis Mendoza complained of a dead arm after lasting just two innings in the 19-6 loss to Detroit (leaving investigators to determine whether his arm already was dead or whether the Tigers committed homicide).
The Rangers' 7-15 mark at midweek was the worst in the AL and second-worst in baseball (Washington was 6-16), and while the walls are closing in on Washington and Connor, folks are closely watching how new club president Nolan Ryan handles things. Named to the position in early February, Ryan mostly has observed and learned during his time on the job.
But as the pitching falters, some of general manager Jon Daniels' recent moves have turned out to be pretty unfortunate:
• He did acquire outfielder Josh Hamilton from Cincinnati this winter -- but it cost the Rangers right-hander Edinson Volquez, who is off to a 3-0 start with a 1.21 ERA.
• Right-hander Armando Galarraga (2-0, 1.50 in two starts) has been instrumental in helping Detroit begin to turn things around -- and the Tigers acquired him in February from Texas in exchange for minor-league outfielder Michael Hernandez.
