Not sure this was possible, but President Barack Obama's performance in the first presidential debate made the Texas Rangers effort in Oakland look downright impressive.
Obama was the Rangers, who rather than playing like a two-time World Series team looked spooked against the guy who hasn't been there in Romney.
An AL West title that was a lock for months and months is gone, and now the Rangers are reduced to begging. They will play the Orioles in the "wildcard" game on Friday night at the Ballpark. Yu Darvish, go earn your money. God knows your starting pitching teammates haven't recently.
How did the Rangers blow this division lead and lose 9 of their last 13? Start here with the starting pitching in the last 13 games:
9/21 at Sea., L 6-3. Perez 4 ip., 6 hits, 4 runs, 81 pitches
9/22 at Sea., L 1-0 Harrison 8 ip., 1 run, 108 pitches
9/23 at Sea., W 3-2 Dempster 6.2 ip., 2 runs, 115 pitches
9/24 v. Oak., W 5-4 Holland 3 ip., 3 runs, 77 pitches
9/25 v. Oak., L 3-2 (10) Feldman 4 ip., 2 runs, 75 pitches
9/26 v. Oak., L 9-3 Perez 0.2 ip., 5 runs, 24 pitches
9/27 v. Oak., W 9-7 Harrison 6 ip., 4 runs, 99 pitches
9/28 v. LAA., L 7-4 Dempster 5.2 ip., 4 runs, 102 pitches
9/30 v. LAA., L 5-4 Darvish 6.2 ip., 3 runs, 117 pitches
9/30 v. LAA, W 8-7 Holland 6.2 ip., 7 runs, 113 pitches
10/1 at Oak., L 4-3 Perez 4 ip., 4 r, 69 pitches
10/2 at Oak., L 3-1 Harrison 6 ip., 3 r, 89 pitches
10/3 at Oak., L 12-5 Dempster 3 ip., 6 r, 63 pitches
One time in the past 13 games did a Rangers starter go beyond 6.2 innings. That's too much pressure on a bullpen, and not nearly enough production from a starting staff for a team that expects to return to a third start World Series.
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I think casey pachall might have just made his case for worse wednesday night...
Posted by: Kev | 10/04/2012 at 10:06 AM