Rangers/A's - The Final Battle for the West.

[1502tuley]

Wow, we are 4 & 6 in the last 10 games. Talk about limping to the finish line.

 

[WilltheThrill]

And his really large TV.

Yep. Forgot to include that as well.

Also awesome is that Napoli struck out to end the Angels' hopes. He screws them over by hitting HR's against them and then he strikes the final nail into their coffin as the last Rangers out against the A's. Too poetic.

 

[1502tuley]

Yep. Forgot to include that as well.

Also awesome is that Napoli struck out to end the Angels' hopes. He screws them over by hitting HR's against them and then he strikes the final nail into their coffin as the last Rangers out against the A's. Too poetic.

Thanks, I feel better already.

 

[Hambombs]

Have you guys ever seen a more uninspired playoff-bound team in your lives? Ron and the entire team have just seemed to have this attitude of lazy arrogance for about the last two weeks and it has shown in their play. The series in Seattle was a complete mess and it was almost like "oh well, who cares, we've still got the division wrapped up". Now the A's have creeped up to within 1 game and we're STILL playing as if these games just don't matter at all and that somehow we've already clinched the division.

How on Earth do you justify starting a 21 year-old kid who clearly isn't ML-ready in an extremely important potentially division-deciding game against a team who absolutely shelled him less than a week ago when you've got veterans in Feldman and Oswalt who would be much better bets in such a big game? I knew this game was a forfeit from the moment I saw the pitching matchup.


Because of Wash's absolutely asinine decision to go with Perez and the duo of Kinsler and Hamilton having checked out over a week ago, we're now forced to pitch Harrison and Dempster and must win 1 out of 2 on the road against a hot team who smells blood in the water. I've just never seen such a complete lack of concern or effort from this Rangers team. All this arrogant talk of "we're the best team in baseball" is very concerning. I'm not sure who they think they're fooling because they haven't played anywhere near like the best team in baseball for quite some time.


If it weren't for the beast Napoli just deciding he refused to lose to the Angels last night, we'd be staring down a very real possibility of missing the playoffs altogether. And as it is now, if their attitudes and performances don't improve over the next 48 hours, we're looking at a 1-game elimination date with Baltimore, possibly even on the road.

I'm not gloom and doom here, just being realistic and quite disbelieving at the seeming lack of concern or effort from our team lately. We are a much, much better team than we're showing and it's time we quit with the excuses and start playing like it.

I agree about the best team thing we are not right now but we need a switch turn from off to on

 

[romeo212000]

Now the 2 button and arrow up button on my remote don't work.

 

[1502tuley]

Now the 2 button and arrow up button on my remote don't work.

Sorry, I had to laugh. I’m with you on being pissed off. I can totally empathize.

 

[romeo212000]

Sorry, I had to laugh. I’m with you on being pissed off. I can totally empathize.

I deserve it for flying off the handle, but this game tonight was just bullshit from top to bottom. I'm starting to hate certain players on this team. And no that does not include Perez.

 

[1502tuley]

Now the 2 button and arrow up button on my remote don't work.

Is it a DirecTV or Dish receiver? If so they sell remotes for them all over eBay for next to nothing.

 

[WilltheThrill]

I agree about the best team thing we are not right now but we need a switch turn from off to on

I mean, I know they care and of course they are trying. And there's a decent chance they still win the West and turn it on a bit more in the playoffs.

But this year's Rangers season has just felt different. Many times this year it has seemed like they were just going through the motions out there. I never felt that way in the losses the last two seasons. It could just be a wrong impression I've formed, but I also know that many others have gathered that impression too. There's a reason why returning to 3 consecutive World Series is rarely done and a big part of it is complacency setting in and just how hard it is to maintain that insane level of focus and effort for 3 years in a row. Maybe the team is a bit tired. Maybe they're a bit too arrogant. Or maybe it's as simple as them being in a funk. But they need to flip that switch and in a hurry.

 

[1502tuley]

I deserve it for flying off the handle, but this game tonight was just bullshit from top to bottom. I'm starting to hate certain players on this team. And no that does not include Perez.

You can't be mad a Perez. He's just a kid, and was thrown onto what was likely the biggest stage of his life, and then he was told to make is rain. He held them to 4 runs, that's actually pretty good considering the circumstances.

 

[1502tuley]

Crap, yet another night where I won't be able to sleep. Screw it, I have to be up in 4 1/2 hours anyway. These west coast series always kill me.

 

[Windingmywatch]

I agree about the best team thing we are not right now but we need a switch turn from off to on

Yea ... but there isn't one ... or in the dark nobody can find it on the wall.

That said ... I was surprised to see OAK celebrating. As AB said the other night ... you don't celebrate getting a spot in a 1 game play off.

What would have been really chilling would have been for OAK to handle the win just like any other one run win ... and with steely eyes look over at the TEX bench. The message being that ... we're not celebrating a wild card spot ... we're going to celebrate sweeping you and taking the AL West crown and make you fly home to face BAL or NYY in the 1 game event.

 

[fanman8825]

Have you guys ever seen a more uninspired playoff-bound team in your lives? Ron and the entire team have just seemed to have this attitude of lazy arrogance for about the last two weeks and it has shown in their play. The series in Seattle was a complete mess and it was almost like "oh well, who cares, we've still got the division wrapped up". Now the A's have creeped up to within 1 game and we're STILL playing as if these games just don't matter at all and that somehow we've already clinched the division.

How on Earth do you justify starting a 21 year-old kid who clearly isn't ML-ready in an extremely important potentially division-deciding game against a team who absolutely shelled him less than a week ago when you've got veterans in Feldman and Oswalt who would be much better bets in such a big game? I knew this game was a forfeit from the moment I saw the pitching matchup.

Because of Wash's absolutely asinine decision to go with Perez and the duo of Kinsler and Hamilton having checked out over a week ago, we're now forced to pitch Harrison and Dempster and must win 1 out of 2 on the road against a hot team who smells blood in the water. I've just never seen such a complete lack of concern or effort from this Rangers team. All this arrogant talk of "we're the best team in baseball" is very concerning. I'm not sure who they think they're fooling because they haven't played anywhere near like the best team in baseball for quite some time.

If it weren't for the beast Napoli just deciding he refused to lose to the Angels last night, we'd be staring down a very real possibility of missing the playoffs altogether. And as it is now, if their attitudes and performances don't improve over the next 48 hours, we're looking at a 1-game elimination date with Baltimore, possibly even on the road.

I'm not gloom and doom here, just being realistic and quite disbelieving at the seeming lack of concern or effort from our team lately. We are a much, much better team than we're showing and it's time we quit with the excuses and start playing like it.

The Seattle series looms big right now. You have to take 2 out of 3 from them and we did not have to face King Felix as well. Now we probably lose HFA and maybe the division too. Too many failed opportunities with RISP from our key guys since that series. Unfortunately M. Perez was just not ready to step up down the stretch. His last 3 starts have just produced 8.2IN and 12ER which resulted in 3 critical losses. Just too much to ask of a 21 yr old with too little experience.
What sucks about the a 1 game elimination is that we have to pitch Yu and if we win he is not available until game 3 of ALDS.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

The Seattle series looms big right now. You have to take 2 out of 3 from them and we did not have to face King Felix as well. Now we probably lose HFA and maybe the division too. Too many failed opportunities with RISP from our key guys since that series. Unfortunately M. Perez was just not ready to step up down the stretch. His last 3 starts have just produced 8.2IN and 12ER which resulted in 3 critical losses. Just too much to ask of a 21 yr old with too little experience.
What sucks about the a 1 game elimination is that we have to pitch Yu and if we win he is not available until game 3 of ALDS.

I'm honestly OK with not having HFA. Too much is being made of it. When has it worked to the teams advantage?? Last time I checked, the WC has won the past couple of WS....and the #1 seed didnt make it to the show.

#1 seed will have to face the winner of the WC play in. Chances are, thats going to be Oakland. (Unless Balt can pull out a miracle).

So what good would HFA do if the Rangers cant make it past the 1st round against Oakland? Heck, with the way they are skating in....I doubt HFA or not...would really help them.

Give me DET over OAK in the first round. Then bring on OAK. (assuming they get past NYY).

I deserve it for flying off the handle, but this game tonight was just bullshit from top to bottom. I'm starting to hate certain players on this team. And no that does not include Perez.

Kinsler is el numero uno on my list.... and in a distant 2nd...is Hamilton.
Now, if we're talking pitchers & hitters... Lowe. Lowe. Lowe..... Kinsler.... Lowe. Lowe.... Hamilton.




Tonight is the game I highlighted (once I saw TEX had to win at least 1 in OAK) as the night the Rangers clinch the division. The SP matchup is there. As long as Harry is "good Harry"...then the Rangers should be in good shape.

That said, I wonder how short Blackley's leash is tonight. (IE...are the A's going to play this game as a "win or go home"...or just be satisfied that they are in the playoffs.)

 

[Al Falfa]

Considering what we have seen from Feldman, Oswalt and Holland from time to time, Perez did OK last night. Not great, but neither have the others. He still needs polish, but I think there was enough from last nights start that will go a long way in the future of this kid's development. Just needs more polish and a tad better control.
The Oakland starter should have never made it past five innings last night, but the Rangers grip and rip it approach to hitting bailed him out when he was having control issues. Almost identical to his last start in Arlington.

 

[romeo212000]

Considering what we have seen from Feldman, Oswalt and Holland from time to time, Perez did OK last night. Not great, but neither have the others. He still needs polish, but I think there was enough from last nights start that will go a long way in the future of this kid's development. Just needs more polish and a tad better control.
The Oakland starter should have never made it past five innings last night, but the Rangers grip and rip it approach to hitting bailed him out when he was having control issues. Almost identical to his last start in Arlington.

This is what pisses me off the most. It seems like every time we get a pitcher on the ropes we bail him out by swinging at shit.

 

[1502tuley]

This is why I’m quickly losing faith in this team's ability to make another deep PO run. The last two years we went into the PO's hitting the ball really well. This year... not even close. Teams have figured out our hitters. They know just about everyone in our line-up will be going up there and hacking with all their might, and at just about anything even remotely close to the strike zone. If this team is to make any kind of push they’re going to have to change that aspect of their game, and I'm not sure they can, or even think they need to.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

No truer words have been written/spoken than these...

Adam J. Morris ‏@lonestarball
Here's the reality: if Texas can't win one of two against Oakland, or a WC game against Orioles, they aren't getting out of the ALDS anyway.

 

[Al Falfa]

This is why I’m quickly losing faith in this team's ability to make another deep PO run. The last two years we went into the PO's hitting the ball really well. This year... not even close. Teams have figured out our hitters. They know just about everyone in our line-up will be going up there and hacking with all their might, and at just about anything even remotely close to the strike zone. If this team is to make any kind of push they’re going to have to change that aspect of their game, and I'm not sure they can, or even think they need to.

In 2010 and 2011 I thought Rangers hitters did a good job of making opposing pitchers throw strikes once they got into the stretch runs and playoffs. It seemed to me that it frustrated TB and Detroit pitchers in the later innings of playoff games. They just seemed to play smarter baseball than the other guys. Not sure why they have changed their approach. Seems like every time you look up Hamilton is in an 0-2 hole on pitches a foot low and outside.

 

[scotsman1948]

my lineup for tonite:

Profar 2B
Andrus SS
Beltre 3B
Napoli C
Olt DH
Martin RF
Murphy LF
Snyder 1B
Gentry CF

and i tell Kinsler, Hamilton, Cruz, Young & Moreland to go sit on the far end of the bench