3 Texas Rangers collapses that were at least as bad as this one

The 2011 World Series was brutal for the Rangers

The 2011 World Series was particularly brutal for Rangers fans. It was supposed to be a chance at redemption after Texas got dominated by Tim Lincecum and the Giants the previous year. After handling the Rays and the Tigers pretty handily in the previous playoff rounds, expectations were high that the Rangers would finally be able to close the deal in 2011.

Things got off to a decent enough start. The Cardinals were playing them tough, but the Rangers had a three games to two lead through five games. Game Six, however, was a gut punch. Texas was up by two runs in the ninth inning with two outs and Neftali Feliz on the mound and the Cardinals had a pair of runners on. Feliz managed to get ahead of David Freese and St. Louis was down to their last strike, but Freese lined the next pitch to the right field wall for a triple to tie the game.

Undeterred, the Rangers offense would put up two more runs in the top of the 10th to again push the Cardinals to the brink of elimination thanks to a two run homer from Josh Harrison. However, despite being down to their last strike AGAIN, the Cardinals would tie the game yet again. After the Rangers' lineup came up empty in the 11th, the Rangers' bullpen would cough up the game-winning homer to David Freese and force a game seven.

The rest of the story is pretty well-known. The Rangers came out flat for the deciding game and the Cardinals won Game Seven handily to complete one of the worst World Series collapses in modern memory. This one is a reminder that sometimes it is better to not get that close to winning it all, because the pain from that World Series loss lingers even today.

The Rangers' late season collapse in 2012 was one for the ages

Coming off back-to-back World Series appearances, expectations were understandably high for the Rangers in 2012. They put a lot of money into their roster and had many of the same players that had helped propel them to two straight AL pennants, so thinking that they could make another run at the title.

For most of the season, it looked like that is exactly what was going to happen. They were dominating the AL West for most of the season and led by 13 games at the end of June. As the weeks and months went by, their lead would shrink, though, especially as Oakland got hot. Things were still looking good at the end of the season as they had a five game lead in the division with just nine games to go.

After a couple of mediocre series, the Rangers' lead over the Athletics was just three games and the final series of the season was against, yep, Oakland. Oakland had to sweep the Rangers to win the division which was a tall order. However, that is exactly what they did including the Rangers blowing a four run lead in the third game and losing the division in spectacular fashion. Oakland would go on to lose a close ALDS series against the Tigers, but the Rangers didn't even make it that far as they lost the one game wild card playoff against the Orioles 1-0.

This collapse was pretty close to what we have seen from the Rangers this year as it was a slow, painful one that was built over weeks and months. However, it did have a brutal and sudden end which sort of gives this one the worst of both ends of the spectrum of sadness. If the Rangers find themselves with a real chance at the end of the 2023 season and then blow that, too, then the 2012 season is the one to compare it to.

The 2013 Rangers' season was a cornucopia of disappointment

Finally, we come to the 2013 season and the Rangers were coming off some of the more brutal chokes seen from any team the previous two seasons. However, the 2013 season is a bit different as the Rangers were never in a particularly dominant position.

Texas did have a lead in the division late in the season yet again, but the race was tight as they had just a two game lead over Oakland at the end of August. However, a brutal stretch in September saw that lead evaporate and Oakland take a commanding lead in the division and the Rangers' hopes turned to the wild card race.

However, the Rangers were SO bad in September that they ended up having to play a tiebreaking game 163 against the Rays to even have a shot at the last wild card spot. Such games had been exceedingly rare in baseball history and Texas went down in the history books in the worst way as they lost that game 5-2 and the Rangers failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in years. The Rays would end up winning the one game wild card playoff before dropping to Red Sox in the ALDS.

There are some similarities to the 2023 season here as well as the Rangers' 2013 season also died a slow and painful death. Time will tell how closely the seasons will compare as there is still a lot of baseball left to be played this season. One thing is certain, though: it is clear that Rangers fans know better than most the pain of watching their team fold late in the season.

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