Rangers Swept By Astros, Remain 'Confident' Amid Six-Game Skid
The Texas Rangers, and their fans, are ready to get the heck out of Houston.
Last Sunday, the Rangers got back to .500 at 18-18. One week later, they suffered their fourth sweep of the season, losing the to Astros by a score of 6-2. Not only were the Rangers swept in four games by their in-state rivals, they went 0-6 on their road trip this week, dropping them to 18-24 on the season.
It's the first time the Rangers have gone 0-6 on a road trip since 1991.
If you're looking for a silver lining, only one game of the six was out of hand. Two games were decided by one run, two more by two runs, and Sunday's loss saw the Rangers tie the game on a David Dahl two-run homer in the seventh inning. It wasn't until the eighth inning where the Astros hammered Joely Rodríguez and put up a four-spot to pull away at the end.
But most fans want tangible results. Wins, not losses. And while fans may or may not want to rip their eyes out after watching the Rangers turn in their worst road trip in 30 years, the team is far from a state of panic.
"We're still really confident as a group," said Rangers starter Kyle Gibson. "We were really close in just about every game. That's not something that a lot of teams can say on a six-game skid . . . We don't need to be doing anything different. A couple plays here and there, a couple pitches here and there, and this road trip is a lot different."
Manager Chris Woodward took it upon himself to address his team after Sunday's loss. It's a key moment for a young team, and one that Woodward was proactive to get out in front and keep things in perspective.
"I have 100 percent confidence in these guys," Woodward said. "I just told them to keep their heads up. They work so hard. We do have to get better in certain areas. Pretty much in every aspect. We haven't really played that good of baseball lately. A few mistakes are costing us, but we've been in a lot of games. But they have to keep their head up and let this sting a little bit."
The Rangers will have a short trip back to Arlington where things will not get any easier. The Yankees come into town for four games, then the Rangers welcome the Astros to Globe Life Field for another weekend series.
Woodward's young team is going through a tough onslaught of growing pains. While no one wants to go through the fire like the Rangers are right now, Woodward believes stretches like this are showing his young group how important their work and focus is, along with how much just one mistake can impact a game.
Just more learning moments.
Woodward has never shied away from talking up his players, but he sure isn't handling them with kid gloves either.
"I have a ton of confidence in this group," Woodward said. "They have a ton of fight in them. They're not gonna quit. The only thing I want to make sure is they don't feel sorry for themselves, because nobody ever feels sorry for you in this game. That's basically my message to them."
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