ARLINGTON — Sunday blues, indeed.
The Texas Rangers were swept by the Miami Marlins this weekend at Globe Life Field, capped off by Sunday’s 4-2 loss, and have lost seven consecutive games in their most crucial stretch of the season.
They now technically trail the Houston Astros by five-and-a-half games for the American League’s third Wild Card berth. The Astros, however, hold the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to their sweep of the Rangers earlier last week. The Rangers would need to leapfrog the Cleveland Guardians, whom they trail by five games, before they can worry about the division foes.
It all may be moot by Sunday night. If the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays and if the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners in their evening games, the Rangers would be mathematically eliminated from contention. There are six games left to play.
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The Rangers pulled right-handed starter Merrill Kelly from the game after just 73 pitches and three runs allowed in the fourth inning in favor of left-hander Jacob Latz. Latz, who’s shifted back into the bullpen after a successful stretch as a starter, threw just 10 pitches and recorded two outs.
Right-hander Cole Winn replaced Latz and allowed a leadoff triple to Marlins third baseman Graham Pauley in the top of the seventh inning. Pauley scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly from catcher Brian Navarreto to give Miami a 4-2 lead.
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The Rangers struck out nine times in four innings vs. Miami right-hander Eury Perez and totaled just two hits and a walk against him. They didn’t score until left fielder Wyatt Langford — who’d missed the previous two games with side tightness — hit his team-high 22nd home run of the season vs. right-hander Luke Bachar in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Rookie second baseman Cody Freeman drove in the club’s second run with two outs in the sixth when he scored third baseman Josh Jung with a single to make it a 3-2 game.
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