The Texas Rangers have lost two straight games to the Houston Astros and are now firmly out of the MLB postseason picture as the regular season inches to a close.
The Rangers dropped back-to-back games in Houston on Monday and Tuesday, losing to the Astros 6-3 in the first game of the series and 6-5 in the second.
As a result, the Rangers have now fallen 3.5 games behind the Astros for the final wild card spot in the American League playoffs, with the team also sitting one full game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the overall standings.
Texas has just one more game against the Astros on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m., meaning the team can reduce this wild-card lead to 2.5 games with a victory in the final game of this series.
Following that matchup, the Rangers will have only nine games to climb into the postseason, with the team likely needing to win at least seven games to have a chance at the playoffs.
Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy said after Tuesday’s loss to the Astros that the team showed “tremendous fight” despite the loss, adding that the team still believes they can make a run to the postseason using their collective experience.
“This group’s done a great job of [bouncing back]. How many times [have] we talked about being resilient? I told them after the game that I love the fight. You were a swing away from taking a lead. You come out here. You gotta put it behind you. Obviously, in our situation, we know what’s at stake.”
Rangers starting pitcher Merrill Kelly provided a similar outlook on both the game and the remainder of the season, saying that the key is to “just keep going” despite the issues that have persisted.
“We obviously know the situation. We know the gravity. It’s tough, obviously, losing those first two games here, with it being a direct series for our future. There’s nothing we can do but turn the page and try to get them tomorrow,” he added, per The MLB.
Moving forward, the Rangers will finish their series against the Astros and then take on the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins in two straight home series.
With both of these teams out of the playoff hunt, Texas has a chance to collect crucial victories before an incredibly important final series of the year.
Texas will end the season with a three-game road series against the Cleveland Guardians, who are currently 2.5 games behind.
Although winning this series would not guarantee a spot in the postseason, it could significantly improve the Rangers’ odds of claiming the final playoff spot if the Astros falter in the final games.