Tight.
Back home for the duration, facing the second-worst team in the American League, your warrior-beast on the mound, and that happens.
Meanwhile, the Astros win by one run and the Angels win by one run and, hell, even the Twins won, though by a cushiony two-run margin.
It’s a bad movie script.
Tip of the cap to Houston and Los Angeles in particular. They’re not going to make it easy on Texas, clearly, and are playing pennant race baseball. Those two teams have shaken off some really bad baseball (the Astros in September, the Angels in August) to turn it on when it’s the only way.
It’s convenient to forget that the Rangers turned it on, for nearly all of August and nearly all of September, when it was the only way, if that. Really, it didn’t even seem that tenable. The fact that Texas has a lead of any measure to protect, with less than a week to go, is flippin’ incredible and awesome.
But this team has to flip the switch back on. Yes, Collin McHugh-Dallas Keuchel-Justin Verlander is a tall order, but a team with playoff aspirations can never use something like that as an excuse.
Really, excuses of any sort are out the door this time of year, though I’m unable to resist at least pointing out that Houston is getting the three Mariners starters who aren’t Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma (and probably not even James Paxton, who is a good bet to be scratched tomorrow with a torn fingernail) and will miss Patrick Corbin in Arizona, and that Oakland is starting Barry Zito in Sonny Gray’s place against the Angels tomorrow, with at least one national writer suggesting the A’s “may be tanking a bit; they’ve moved up to the fourth pick in the draft and could rise as high as number 2 if the Reds and Braves can find some wins this week.”
No excuses. Just need to win.
And to avoid at-bats like Rougned Odor’s with the bases loaded, a 1-1 score, and one out in the fourth (following Elvis Andrus’s popout) in which Odor appeared to be trying to erase the Magic Number of 5 in one swing, and then a second swing, and then a third, all at Verlander pitches in his eyes.
I love Rougned Odor.
But man.
No time to be pressing, or playing tight.
Six left — including four here against the Angels that are now, almost inescapably, going to be huge — and if this team plays its game, the season extends. No matter who is on the mound for the other guys.
Or for the Mariners. Or for the Diamondbacks.
Texas has proven this year that it’s dangerous when playing from behind. It’s done it the whole second half, it did it in the ninth inning Saturday, it did it in the ninth inning last night, even if those two final-inning charges fell just short.
No metaphors there, please.
Not infrequently I like to say things like “Bring on the chance at more sports heartbreak, at guts spilling onto the floor. Because without it, the winning — and I mean the winning — wouldn’t be nearly as awesome.”
Give me exactly where this team is right now. It’s a thousand times better than having writers talk about sunny draft implications if you keep losing baseball games that matter more immediately to the opponent.
I also like to say, “Better keep winning, Houston.”
Well, better start winning, Texas.
The Rangers have won eight straight Cole Hamels starts. They get two more of those this week, including tonight.
Only one of those eight Hamels starts followed a Rangers loss.
One more of those, tonight.
Hopefully not another one like it Sunday.
Assuming Sunday matters, which at this point feels close to inevitable.
But again, that’s a whole lot better than how much the final Sunday and a dozen before it mattered a year ago.
Justin Verlander may no longer be a true ace, but in the tightest spots he pitched like one last night.
Your turn, Cole.