MESA, Ariz. - Something unusual is happening in the Sonoran Desert.
The Rangers' pitchers are piling up strikeouts. They had seven during a 4-1 loss to Oakland on Tuesday and are third in the majors for the spring with 105 in 105 innings
This could signal a major change. The Rangers had the fewest strikeouts in the majors in each of the last two seasons. They have ranked among the bottom three for strikeouts in each of the last five seasons.
That is not the way to go. Strikeouts usually lead to wins. The top five clubs for strikeouts last season - Houston, the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston and Cleveland - all reached the playoffs.