3 Rangers showing signs of improvement after series win over Dodgers

The Texas Rangers finished a successful series against the Dodgers on Thursday evening, winning the rubber match game of the series with a narrow 3-1 victory. Although the Rangers have been struggling to win at a consistent level so far this season and the majority of the roster has been underperforming, several players showed signs of improvement during this past series and can hopefully find ways to sustain that success as the Rangers are only weeks away from entering the second half of the year.

After handling one of the most dominant teams in baseball, the Rangers are entering one of the most crucial series of the season so far against the current division-leading Seattle Mariners. After a stellar couple of weeks, the Mariners have taken a commanding five-game lead against the Rangers in the AL West. It will be crucial for the Rangers to win the series to regain some ground in the division race. Hopefully, the Rangers can carry the momentum and these players can remain hot.

3 Rangers showing signs of improvement after series win over Dodgers

David Robertson 

The Rangers' bullpen is still a work in progress going into the second half of the season. Still, several pitchers have shown signs of improvement over the past few weeks, with David Robertson, in particular, quickly becoming one of the most valuable members of the relief corps.

The veteran right-hander put up an All-Star-worthy performance against the Dodgers in both games he appeared in, going head-to-head against some of the most prominent players in the MLB, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, and making them look like they just entered the league. 

Through two games and two innings pitched, Robertson was in absolute control on the mound, allowing only one hit while striking out six. One at-bat in particular that exemplified Robertson's dominance from the mound these past two games was when he faced Freeman, who is one of the best all-around hitters of his generation. When Robertson faced Freeman in the bottom of the eighth in the final game of the series, he was looking to get out of the inning after allowing two batters. He put on a masterclass performance against Freeman, closing out the inning by throwing a marvelous knuckle curve that made the slugger look foolish.

If Robertson can continue his newfound career resurgence, he can become one of the most valuable assets on the Rangers roster. With Kirby Yates appearing to have found success in the closer role, Robertson can serve as one of the most dominant setup men in the league and hopefully contribute to solidifying the bullpen. 

Michael Lorenzen

Although the Rangers rotation has been plagued by injuries since the start of the season, the rotation still remains solid under the current circumstances, and newcomer Michael Lorenzen has quickly developed into one of the most consistent pitchers in rotation. Lorenzen got off to somewhat of a slow start, with the Rangers losing every game he pitched in during the month of May. Though he had a rough month, his past few starts have indicated a turnaround is coming, and his Thursday outing against the Dodgers proved just that.

Lorenzen was in complete control through seven innings, only allowing one run, which didn't come until his final frame.

It is no small feat to hold any team in the MLB to only one run through seven innings, but it is especially impressive when it's against that group of players. Lorenzen's showing is hopefully a sign of things to come for him, as he can hopefully be a consistent arm for the Rangers going into the second half of the season and help stabilize the currently dismantled rotation.

Wyatt Langford

Langford's rookie season could best be described as inconsistent so far. While he has shown flashes of greatness through the first few months, he has also struggled to get one base regularly and, at times, appear like a part-time player.

Over the past week or so, however, it appears that Langford is starting to put it all together and is starting to resemble the player we saw throughout spring training. Langford has six hits over the past five games and has raised his average to .238, which is the highest it has been in nearly a month.

Langford continued his offensive success in LA this week and played a big part in the Rangers' win over the Dodgers on Thursday evening. He was responsible for generating two of the team's three runs, both coming off singles. He also stole second base twice during Thursday's game, demonstrating his speed on the base path, which is something that he has been showing more of recently.

Hopefully, Langford can continue to gain confidence and grow into the All-Star-caliber player we all expect him to be. If Langford can find ways to get on base more consistently while generating runs, this would be a huge boost for the Rangers, whose lineup is nothing short of sluggish at the moment.