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Rangers Look To Build Off Late Rally As They Carry Nine-Game Losing Streak Home
A nine-game losing streak isn't an anomaly, but that doesn't mean it's something a team wants to go through, regardless if you're a contender or in a rebuild.
So instead of giving the typical "woe is me" spiel, allow me to live up to my eternal optimist expectations and give you the brighter side of a team that's lost 15 straight road games.
In Thursday's loss to Colorado, the Rangers were down and out from the fourth inning on, when the Rockies built a 5-0 lead and subsequently kicked Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz from the game. Colorado added two runs in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, putting the game far out of reach. Only a two-run home run by Khris Davis gave Rangers fans anything to cheer — or make a sarcastic tweet — about.
And while manager Chris Woodward has seen some alarming behavior from his team throughout this losing streak, he saw a couple of things that will give him a bit of solace as the team heads back home to Arlington.
Down 7-0 in the sixth inning, Adolis García continued to play at 100 percent, making a spectacular diving catch in the outfield. A stellar defensive play like that loses its value when a baseball team is down by a touchdown, but in Chris Woodward's eyes, it's a necessary spark for a team that is carrying a heavy burden on their back.
"This guy has played every game," Woodward explained. "I pulled him into my office after the game just to say, 'If we play that way when we're down and you continue to show our team this is how we play, regardless if we've won nine in a row or lost nine in a row, it matters.'"
In addition, the Rangers stared at an 11-2 hole in the ninth inning, but rallied to score four runs. Willie Calhoun and Brock Holt manufactured runs, while Jose Trevino crushed a two-run homer to left field to make it 11-6.
"Listen, I know they would have a different guy in there if we were closer in the game. I get that," Woodward said. "[But] for us to have quality at-bats there, to stay in the strike zone, I know we haven't been great at that lately, but we didn't give in there.
"It gave us something to smile about. I think somebody mentioned that in the dugout. I know we're losing and this is nine in a row, but like I said before the game, we've gotta find small victories right now. And that's definitely one."
Woodward also acknowledged moral victories like this don't put runs on the scoreboard. The Rangers are coming back to a place where they were 12-8 in the month of May. And they desperately need to start 1-0 in June.
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