Red Sox projected rotation seems like a Rangers gift as playoffs hang in the balance

Every series from now on is the biggest of the season for the Texas Rangers. With a 74-76 record, Texas is just one game behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and 1 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot.

The Rangers have a tough slate of games ahead of them. On Tuesday, they will begin a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (82-68), a team that has won seven of its last 10 games. Then, Texas faces the Toronto Blue Jays for three games. The Blue Jays haven't been hot lately, but they can be just as good as any team in the league at their best and appear set to get Trey Yesavage back from the IL soon.

The final stretch of the season seems much easier. After the Blue Jays series, the Rangers will host the NL East's last-place New York Mets before heading to Minnesota for a three-game series against the struggling Twins to finish the season.

If Texas can win at least half of its next six games, the club should feel good entering the final six games of the season against weaker opponents. Luckily, the Rangers won't have to face two of the Red Sox's best starting pitchers in the upcoming series at Globe Life Field.

Rangers avoiding facing two of Red Sox's best SPs; Payton Tolle and Ranger Suarez

In the series opener on Tuesday, Texas will face left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who has a poor 4.80 ERA in the second half of the season. In the second game of the series, the Rangers will face left-hander Jake Bennett, who has an awful 5.26 ERA since Aug. 1

Sandoval is making his way back after missing a year and a half due to Tommy John surgery, while Bennett has thrown a combined 144 1/3 innings between Triple-A and the majors, nearly doubling his previous career high of 75 1/3. He's clearly running out of gas.

Unfortunately, the Rangers will have to face right-hander Sonny Gray in the finale. Gray is 17-5 with a 2.76 ERA this season. Still, the Rangers should feel happy they don't have to face left-hander Ranger Suarez, who has a 0.64 ERA this month, and left-hander Payton Tolle, who is 9-6 with a 3.02 ERA this season. Facing just one of Tolle, Suarez and Gray feels like a gift for the Rangers, putting them in a strong position to win the first two games of the series.

The series opener of the three-game set between the Rangers and Red Sox at Globe Life Field is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. CDT on Tuesday. Fans can watch the games on the Rangers Sports Network.

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