Series Thread: Rangers Travel to St. Petersburg for the Best of Three Wild Card Series with the Rays October 3-5

[saddles]

Personally, I don't expect much from the Rangers in this series. We will find out soon enough.

Even if the Rangers lose, at least their flaws will be made that much more evident. That is likely the only good thing yhat will come from this series. Any experience they get will be more like a nightmare that a learning exercise.

A lot of this season has been filled with mostly memories that will be better forgotten. There will be memories of teammates who seemed to coast for long stretches and a manager who made several costly mistakes.

Bochy already prepared this team for the Rays, when he made it into a playoff-like experience, once, in early June. They failed very badly then. That was one of his biggest mistakes early on. He didn't have to sit several starters this time, they pretty much have "sat" themselves lately.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[DT LUNA]

Personally, I don't expect much from the Rangers in this series. We will find out soon enough.

Even if the Rangers lose, at least their flaws will be made that much more evident. That is likely the only good thing yhat will come from this series. Any experience they get will be more like a nightmare that a learning exercise.

A lot of this season has been filled with mostly memories that will be better forgotten. There will be memories of teammates who seemed to coast for long stretches and a manager who made several costly mistakes.

Bochy already prepared this team for the Rays, when he made it into a playoff-like experience, once, in early June. They failed very badly then. That was one of his biggest mistakes early on. He didn't have to sit several starters this time, they pretty much have "sat" themselves lately.

I do not think they have the courage or "want to" to win. After what we saw today, they are a defeated team. Things to do to redeem will come in the off season. Until then nothing is left to hope for.

 

[saddles]

It looks like the Rangers have now gone from the #18 selection in next year's draft to between #20 and #22, most likely #22.

 

[saddles]

Dane Dunning finished 12th in AL ERA, among qualifiers. He was our only qualifier.

 

[Kelleyman]

Anything can happen in baseball. Happy to see some of the young guys get big game experience. Definitely a flawed pen and injured SP. So I get in. Ie way we should be favored
But I doubt if the players will or shkukd go into th series with their tails between their legs

This is valuable experience. Might see that as a positive

Also. Do not think they laid down A lot of revenue lost because of that loss. Seattle had alway been a really good pitching team

Yeah they popped the cork and let off some steam
Despite the optics. They went straight to watching Houston team

Think that “ celebration” had zero to do with loss yesterday
That is laughable

Best to teams the playoffs as a positive and try to grow
Big picture is a full year of Carter and maybe Langford

 

[Kelleyman]

Definitely curious of playoff roster and how pitchers are set up

 

[Kelleyman]

Still trying to fathom in what universe this board overall would think the players had zero motivation and just no show yesterday.
Time with family
Time to rest and heal
Bare yes we’re silent but pitching was gritty

The negativity is pretty sour at times and hard to stomach. Sorry. I have been Rsngering with you guys a long time and obviously you guys are the epitome of diehard fans so I get the pain and disappointment but even the best clubs don’t win.

Hope needs to be a necessary ingredient to survive as a Ranger fan

 

[Sir Robin Of Camelot]

2PM starts…

iPad is gonna get heavy usage at work this week.

 

[saddles]

Evan Grant has been busy the last few hours on Twitter defending the Rangers from charges of choking and premature celebration.

It isn't that they choked. Their offense has had this tendency to fall asleep for long periods of time over too much of the season to call doing so, "choking." How they played against Seattle has become a large part of their identity. They have had that identity since early June. They are prone to go into very deep prolonged slumps, as a team, offensively. It is who they are.

Now, why they are that way is a question that the front office must find the answer for, and must fix. If they don't, then all of next year will be like the last three and a half months plus have been.

You are not choking when you are doing what you have proven you are prone to do.

 

[saddles]

Rhyner noticed this too.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

I still would like to know why they didn't start Gray's DL stint retroactive to right after his last start. That is just one more area where our local Rangers media completely dropped the ball.

 

[saddles]

Okay, how will this first game go?

Total hits by Rangers?

Total runs by Rangers?

Total innings pitched by Montgomery?

Total runs given up by Montgomery?

Total runs given up?

 

[saddles]

Total hits by Rangers? 5

Total runs by Rangers? 1

Total innings pitched by Montgomery? 7

Total runs given up by Montgomery? 3

Total runs given up? 4

Total hits by Rangers? 5

Total runs by Rangers? 1

Total innings pitched by Montgomery? 7

Total runs given up by Montgomery? 3

Total runs given up? 4

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Eovaldi hasn't been the same since coming back for the DL. Went from a leader for the CY award to #5 starter and beyond. I would love for him to get his mojo back. Dunning and Perez will have to come back on 3 days rest for Thursday's game if there is one unless we think Heaney can do it.

 

[saddles]

Eovaldi hasn't been the same since coming back for the DL. Went from a leader for the CY award to #5 starter and beyond. I would love for him to get his mojo back. Dunning and Perez will have to come back on 3 days rest for Thursday's game if there is one unless we think Heaney can do it.

If there is a game Thursday, I would think it would be Heaney.

I would be very surprised if there is a game Thursday, though.

 

[DT LUNA]

Eovaldi hasn't been the same since coming back for the DL. Went from a leader for the CY award to #5 starter and beyond. I would love for him to get his mojo back. Dunning and Perez will have to come back on 3 days rest for Thursday's game if there is one unless we think Heaney can do it.

More concerned what offense does.

 

[WilltheThrill]

More concerned what offense does.

Said it in the last thread, but it all boils down to this right here. We have a very good idea how the starting pitching (good) and bullpen (bad) will perform. Low runs against for the first several innings, roller coaster ride with some runs let in during the last few innings.

But it’s going to be which Rangers offense shows up which decides this series. Period. First half offense shows up- Rangers will win the series. If the more recent offense shows up, they’re getting swept.

I know which is more likely to happen, but it’s baseball. Anything goes at this point.