Turn each of the Rangers’ one-run losses in July to wins, and viola, they hold a 53-43 record, in sole position of second place in the AL West and .5 games ahead in the wildcard standings.
Instead, when the reality is exposed and the old maxim of “close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades” is applied, Texas has lost 10 games in July by one run (5-23 on the year), boasting a record of 43-53, and is 10 games under .500 for the first time this year.
Texas fell to Seattle on Tuesday night by a 5-4 tally as the Rangers blew a 4-3 advantage after the top of the ninth as Mariner’s first baseman Carlos Santana hit a walk-off sac-fly in the bottom of the final inning, handing Texas the 5-4 loss.
Though they mounted a comeback, it did not take Texas long to fall behind at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Texas, currently on an 11-game road trip following the All-Star Game, sent Dane Dunning to the hill on Tuesday, and the 27-year-old righty was serviceable, lasting five innings in which he allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks while fanning five.
The first batter Dunning faced, Julio Rodriguez — “J-Rod” — who is the odds-on favorite for American League Rookie of the Year, belted an 80.5 mph slider into the cheap seats in left field for an early 1-0 lead. Rodriguez had been out of action with a bad wrist since the All-Star contest in Los Angeles but made his presence known with the homer.
“I said literally just that before the game, I basically said, ‘Man, if I hit a home run right now, it’s going to be really funny, and I’m honestly just going to laugh around the bases,'” Rodríguez told MLB.com of his return. “And then when it happened, I was like, ‘Wow. It actually happened.'”
Seattle would scratch out another run in the first to take an early 2-0 lead.
Mariners starter George Kirby kept Texas off the scoreboard in his five innings, allowing just three base runners in his outing (two hits, a walk, and four K’s) before his exit. For Texas, Dunning would shut down Seattle for the remainder of his work. Both teams posted goose eggs until the seventh inning.
Texas right fielder Adolis Garcia would hit his first of two doubles on the night and then got knocked home on a single by Nathanial Lowe to cut the score to 2-1.
In the bottom of the frame, Texas reliever Matt Moore (two innings pitched, two earned runs on for hits with two whiffs) gave back the run setting Texas back into a two-run hole.
In the eights, the Rangers would knot the contest at three-all when Garcia doubled home Corey Seager and Kole Calhoun for his 60th and 61st RBI on the season – the team leader.
Ezequiel Duran gave Texas their first and last lead of the game in the top of the ninth inning when he hit a two-out single to drive in Leody Taveras, who made his way on base with a leadoff single.
The Rangers had blown 16 save opportunities coming into the Tuesday night contest with Seattle. Brett Martin – who shares time in the closer role with Joe Barlow, team leader in saves with 13 in 17 chances – gave up two singles, two walks, and two runs in the final frame and the Rangers fell by one, yet again, 4-3.
Seattle – winner of seven of the last 10 contests – moves to 53-45, 11 games behind front runner Houston in the Al West, while the Rangers dip to 20 games behind the Astros and 8.5 games out of the wild card hunt.
The Rangers will look to avoid the sweep on Wednesday when they face the Mariners in Seattle with a 2:40 p.m. CDT start time. Taking the hill for Texas will be Jon Gray (7-4, 3.48) and Marco Gonzales for the Mariners.