Texas Rangers Return From Road Ready for New Challenges

The Texas Rangers are one of the best teams in baseball. Given that this is coming on the heels of six straight losing seasons, it’s not the easiest thing to wrap one’s brain around.

To this point, the Rangers have passed each test that contending teams have to pass, including a now-completed 7-3 road trip against three divisional rivals.

Now, it’s time for the Rangers to deal with something new — a front-runner. The Rangers seem ready for the challenge.

“It’s going to be a fun summer in Dallas,” outfielder Robbie Grossman said Sunday after the Rangers' 11-3 beatdown of the Oakland Athletics.

The Rangers enter Monday’s home series with the Atlanta Braves with a 25-15 record and a four-game lead in the AL West. The Braves also lead their division, the NL West, with a 25-15 record and a five-game lead.

Now, the task is to play a team that, on paper, the Rangers are on equal footing with going into mid-May.

The Rangers are streaking. They’re 11-4 in their last 15 games. They’re off to their best start since 2012. They have an 8-3-1 series record. But what they did on the road was impressive.

The Rangers won two out of three from both the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. Then they won three out of four from the A's. Throw in winning two out of three games at the Houston Astros in April and the Rangers are 11-5 in AL West games.

The four-game lead is no coincidence. The Rangers built that on the back of some teams they’ve struggled against the past few seasons.

“You take three series on this trip and that’s huge,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s a good way to head home. We’ll have our hands full with Atlanta.”

Texas also did it without shortstop Corey Seager as he rehabbed a hamstring injury. Ezequiel Duran became the eventual starter at short and boosted his batting average to .304.

The Rangers also did the road trip without Jacob deGrom. In his place, Dane Dunning put together two great starts, including one that snapped his team-record 26-game road winless streak.

Depth has been key for the Rangers. Bochy said during the road trip that they can’t handle stretches like this without it.

“We had a couple of injuries I didn’t expect,: Bochy said. “But the way they’re playing, I’m not surprised at all.”

The Rangers host the Braves through Wednesday, get a day off and then host the Colorado Rockies Friday through Sunday.

After that, it’s another long road trip — nine games in nine days at the Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers as the Rangers vacate Globe Life Field for the Big 12 baseball tournament.

This is contending baseball. The tests never end.

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