Pivotal road trip ahead of Trade Deadline doesn't go Rangers' way

HOUSTON -- The Rangers were riding high after their last homestand, when they took three of four from the Mariners to move to a 54-52 record and first place in the American League West before heading on the road for a pivotal six-game, six-day trip against Tampa Bay and Houston ahead of the 5 p.m. CT Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.

This should have been a road trip to reinforce the Rangers’ commitment and ability to winning the division.

Instead, they lost two of three to the Rays and were swept by the Astros, capped off with a 7-3 loss at Daikin Park on Sunday afternoon. The five-game losing streak sunk them to second place in the division and on the outside looking in for the final Wild Card spot.

“When we pitched, we didn't really hit. When we hit, we didn't really pitch,” said manager Skip Schumaker. “In a 13-game stretch that started off really good, this road trip just wasn't how we thought it was going to go. We lined up what we thought were some really good pitchers to both these teams. We didn't really have a ton of chances, but when we did, we didn't really capitalize too many times either.”

After the three-game sweep at the hands of the Astros, the Rangers are now 2 1/2 games back of Houston in the AL West and 1 1/2 games back of the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. The Deadline is less than 24 hours away.

“I mean, it was ugly, and it's not how we want to play,” said first baseman Jake Burger. “It sucks that it happened. It just felt like against the Mariners, we won multiple ways, and these five we lost in multiple ways. It’s frustrating for sure.

“I think we're confident in each other. Again, this sucks. This time of year is always weird, but we’ve still got two months of baseball. I think that's something that we keep in mind as well. It's not like the season ended tonight. Whatever happens is outside of our control regarding tomorrow. But what is in our control is how we respond tomorrow night.”

Schumaker has been adamant that, when healthy, this is a group that can win the division. And to his credit, the Rangers have not had their three best hitters -- Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford and Josh Jung -- in the lineup at the same time often this year.

The relative weakness of the division and the American League helps his case that this is a team that still has a lot left to play for.

“I think where the division is at, and where we're at, it’s right there,” he said pregame on Sunday. “We're hoping our third baseman [Josh Jung] comes back. We're hoping other guys come back, like Jack Leiter and Cody Bradford. If some of these guys can be back, those are like trades that are within your system that can help us. So I do feel confident that the guys that we have right now have the chance to still win the division.”

When asked if he would back his guys no matter the situation, he pointed out that he would not have advocated to be a buyer in 2024, during his last season with the Marlins. He understood that situation, just as he understands this current situation the Rangers are in now.

“When you're in this position, this spot, I mean, we're right there,” Schumaker said. “So how could I not say that? It is true. It's not BS, because we are right here.”