On May 8, the Texas Rangers sat in first place in the AL West, five games over .500, and 8.5 games ahead of the rival Houston Astros. With Houston’s pitching in shambles and Seattle’s offense stuck in the mud, a golden opportunity for the Rangers to gain further distance in the division race appeared to be emerging.
Instead, Texas lost nine of its next 12 contests. By losing the series opener on Tuesday in Philadelphia, the Rangers dropped below .500 for the first time all season. And having caught the powerhouse Phillies on a much different trajectory than themselves, the Rangers lost again on Wednesday, dropping a fourth consecutive series.