Texas Rangers: Team Loses Third Straight Series
![May 31, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx (56) is relieved in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/NolanWritin-cover-4e1f3d931ace13b2f9ca1ee8699cfe7f.jpg)
The Texas Rangers come up short in game three against the Tampa Bay Rays. This loss results in Texas losing their third straight series. They’re now 12 games behind the first place Houston Astros in the American League West standings. Furthermore, Houston is coming to Arlington on Friday for a three-game series. If Texas can’t get it together then, the whole they’ve dug themselves in is only going to get deeper.
Another humiliating loss for the Texas Rangers as they lost 7-5 in extra innings. They a 5-4 lead in the ninth with two outs when Tampa found a way to tie the game. In the tenth, Tampa made 7-4. Texas then had a golden opportunity to go for the win with two on base with one out, but they didn’t get the job done.
Austin Bibens-Dirkx stepped on the mound making his first career major league start at 32 years of age. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits, three runs, and striking out two batters, earning a no-decision.
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Jeremy Jeffress relieved Bibens-Dirkx. He pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one hit, no runs, and striking out no batters. Alex Claudio then entered pitching 2.0 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, and striking out two batters. Matt Bush came in to close out the game, but failed as he allowed a game-tying homer, thus suffering his second blown save this season.
Sam Dyson came in to work the extra inning and it all went down hill when he three runs on three hits, thus falling to 1-6 this season. It’s now come to the point where most Rangers fans are done with Dyson. However, it’s unclear what’s going to happen with him.
Pitching’s 4.28 ERA places them 18th in the league. They’re also 27th in strikeouts and tied for 13th in runs allowed.
Offense finished 9-for-37, striking out ten times. Elvis Andrus went 3-for-4, registering three hits for the second straight game. Elvis has 15 hits in his last ten games, including three games with three hits. Furthermore, Elvis had multiple hits in four straight games. In other words, he’s on fire. Adrian Beltre had his first multiple hit game this season, going 2-for-4. Joey Gallo, Jonathan Lucroy, and Jared Hoying all failed to get a hit. Shin-Soo Choo, Nomar Mazara, Mike Napoli, and Rougned Odor each had one hit.
Offense’s .240 batting average places them 21st in the league. They’re also 22nd in hits and 6th in strikeouts. The 256 runs scored this season ties them for tenth in the league with the New York Mets.
The Rangers are off Thursday. Houston is coming to Arlington this weekend. Houston is on fire. Texas is in for a long weekend. Somehow and someway they have to find a way to fight the Astros. Letting Houston humiliate them in Arlington is only going to make their situation worse. Texas can’t afford that.