Texas Rangers 2020 Thread

Discussion in 'Baseball' started by ViperHorn, Jan 7, 2020.

  1. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    And now the bullpen has fallen apart. :brickwall:
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  2. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Even without Klubler, the Starters for the most part have held-up their end of the deal (on last night telecast they said the SP ERA was second in the league at 2.47). The annual BP turnover always leads to 6 weeks or so of confusion. The problem is 6 weeks out of a 12 week season is a disaster.

    The problem since the 2019 All-Star Break has been offense. Part of the problem this season is the offense and ballpark are out of sync. The Nolan Ryan curse (replacing "TEXAS" with "Rangers" on the home uniforms) is in full bite mode.
     
  3. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    I had some hope for this year but in shortened season with glaring deficiencies on offense there is no way to fix this in a hurry. I have to admit already feeling like this year is done and looking ahead to moves in the off season to strengthen the lineup for next season. The starting pitching is there and will be there next year so the focus should be pretty tightly on adding offense to this anemic lineup.
     
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  4. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    ^Agree. Rotation looks excellent, especially when Kluber is healthy and back to form. Bullpen needs serious revamping. As for offense, Gallo is the keeper. Frazier is a bandaid; they need a long-term solution at 3B with some power. At 1B, Guzman needs to hit for power or be released. Chirinos can't go forever. Lots of questions and lots of roster moves to be made in the off-season.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Hard to build an offense around a career .214 hitter who has a tendency to K in clutch situations. Also, being psyched out in the new stadium isn't helping things. Since the organization is hell-bent to ride Gallo, they need to find two people - a hitting coach who has a record of teaching power hitters how to hit for average (.300+ would be ideal, but .285 should be the target), and a psychologist just to work with him.
     
  6. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    ^If Gallo can have a year at .270 or so, 35-40 homers, and 100+ RBI, I'd have to call that a good year. And I think he can do it. But there have to be some other hitters on the roster, and right now, there aren't enough.
     
    • Hot Hot x 1
  7. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    ^^^ I would agree a good year on paper, but he just does not/cannot hit consistently in the clutch. 4k's Wednesday night in a close game for example. Yes having a couple of other hitters to help would also help Gallo.
     
  8. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    Gallo is feast or famine but frankly if he hits 40 HR's and 100 RBI's I normally wouldnt care what his batting average was or how many times he struck out, I would want him in the lineup. The problem is Gallo alone is not the issue, you can have a Gallo in the lineup with all those HR's and all those K's so long as you have a solid lineup around him, but when the rest of the lineup sucks, Gallo's feast or famine becomes that much more stark an issue.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  9. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    ^Recall the days of Juan Gonzales. We moaned every time he went fishing for a slider down and away and looked foolish striking out - but we also knew that one of those sliders would hang up and he would send it into the next county. It wasn't so bad then because there were enough talented hitters in the lineup to pick up the slack - right now Gallo doesn't have that help.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  10. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    The Angels tried very hard to give the game away last night - and the Rangers were able to let them do so. Not a pretty win, but nonetheless a W. Let's see if the Rangers can win today to put two wins back-to-back.
     
  11. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Some of those Angel third strike swings were ugly.
     
  12. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    Well, it's a 2-0 win tonight over the Angels - excellent pitching (starting and bullpen) and a two-run homer from Gallo for just enough offense. I'm not sure two in a row qualifies as a "winning streak," but it's a start. Last game in the series with the Angels tomorrow afternoon.
     
  13. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    The way this year has gone, it qualifies as win steak to me! :texasflag::bounce1::yippee::texasflag:
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2020
  14. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Rangers sweep Halos behind Lance Lynn's 100 career victory and a 4 base Angel error.
     
  15. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    :texasflag: I know it won’t last for long but this Texas team is 1/2 game up and staring down at Houston in the AL West standings. Got to look for the small victories wherever you can find them.
     
  16. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    Well, I'll be! Three games in a row - that assuredly qualifies as a "winning streak." The Angels need to go back to Spring Training and work a bit on defense - but we'll gladly accept the gifts.
    Seattle is coming to Arlington for a three-game series Monday through Wednesday. This is a chance to get on the good side of .500 baseball.
     
  17. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

  18. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    Guys made up for the Moday clunker (they happen during a baseball season) with a very sharp 4-2 win Tuesday. Kiner-Falefa is red hot. Sure wish Odor would find it.
     
  19. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    ^^^^^The clock is about to strike 12 for Odor, and unfortunately, Andrus will be the next up.
     
  20. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    ^Right, Viper. I don't feel very good about Odor's chances to turn it around. I do have confidence in Elvis - he is in an awful streak now, but I think his past record shows what he can do.
     
  21. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    Especially in a short season like this and with Solak available that is so true.
     
  22. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Rangers need to bottle the offense from 8th inning from last night's game. That is the way it is supposed to work. Lyles had a rough 1st and 2nd innings but then did settle down.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  23. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    Don’t look now but Rangers win their third straight and their 6th game in seven as they start road trip with win over Colorado and they climb back to .500 at 9-9, sitting in second AL West.:texasflag:
     
  24. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    ^And a nice W it was. Lynn goes 9, gives up 2 hits, 1 ER, no walks and 6 Ks. Hard to ask for more from a starting pitcher.
     
  25. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    What is interesting is that despite a rash of injuries that in other years would mean a noticeable drop in performance, the Rangers seem to be performing on a good baseline performance level.

    Lynn deserved that full 9 innings. Hopefully, he will stay off the IL and be just as good in his next start.
     
  26. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    Rangers take the Saturday night game 6-4 and run their win streak to 4 while pushing their overall record above .500 for first time since opening day. I feel like Michael Corleone in Godfather Part Three, “every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”:texasflag:
     
  27. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    Nice W in Denver. Over .500 after a horrible start - looks like it's coming together. And not all the parts are there yet - for example, Gallo; when he gets it together, they would be hard to beat. Let's see if they can complete the sweep Sunday afternoon.
     
  28. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Gallo had a better game at the plate compared t the last couple of games (1-14 with 10K's), but the ball it over is head because he missed judged it was just a stupid play on his part. However, he does have the arm for playing in right field.
     
  29. WillUSAF

    WillUSAF 500+ Posts

    Derek Dietrich has been smokin hot since he's been with us!!
     
  30. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    Sunday was not kind to the Rangers but they did take 2 of 3 from the Rockies in Denver and have won three straight series and seven of their last 9. 20 games in and they are 10-10 with four games against the Padres on tap, two in Arlington and two in San Diego.
     

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