The Texas Rangers came into Toronto knowing the importance of this series, but at this point, all they can do is try to salvage a little pride in Sunday’s finale. After dropping the first two games in jarring fashion-including a 14-2 blowout in Game 2-they’ve now lost eight of their last nine and are two games under .500. The postseason picture, once blurry, is now starting to fade behind them.
Let’s not sugarcoat it-this series has been a mess for Texas, and the damage has come from where they least expected it: the mound. For a team that’s battled inconsistency at the plate all season, the pitching staff had been holding things together-up until now.
Game 1 exposed some cracks in the bullpen, but Game 2 opened the floodgates. Patrick Corbin, who had been a solid piece in the rotation, didn’t have it.
He lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits. The most demoralizing blow?
A two-run homer from Myles Straw-Toronto’s No. 8 hitter. That bomb made it clear this wasn’t going to be just another tough-luck start-it was going to get ugly.
Manager Bruce Bochy was forced to lean on his bullpen far earlier than he would’ve liked. First up was Jon Gray, but his outing didn’t stop the bleeding.
In his 2.1 innings, Gray gave up four earned runs on four hits-including another home run off the bat of Straw. By the end of the third, the Rangers were down 8-1 and visibly reeling.
If there was a silver lining on the pitching front, it came in the form of Luis Curvelo. The young righty gave Texas 1.1 clean innings, allowing just one hit and no runs, walks, or strikeouts. It wasn’t flashy, but it was a rare moment of stability in an otherwise chaotic night.
With the game out of hand, Bochy essentially threw up the white flag and handed the ball to-yes, you read that right-first baseman Rowdy Tellez. In a cruel twist of irony, Tellez actually outperformed both Corbin and Gray. He covered two innings and gave up three runs, but he at least gave the bullpen a breather.
This two-game stretch has been particularly frustrating given the urgency surrounding the Rangers’ situation. Coming off a tough loss to Arizona, this was supposed to be a bounce-back opportunity. Instead, this series has turned into damage control.
But there’s still one more chance to climb out on a high note-and that shot comes with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound Sunday. He’s been the anchor of the rotation all season, boasting a 10-3 record with a sparkling 1.71 ERA and 114 strikeouts. If there’s anyone you want breaking a losing streak, it’s him.
Texas doesn’t need perfection Sunday-but they do need some sort of spark. Because if Eovaldi can’t stop the skid, this season might start slipping beyond the point of recovery.
