MINNEAPOLIS -- The Rangers surged to the top of the American League West quickly this season on the back of one of the most explosive offenses in the Major Leagues and steady starting pitching to post one of the top run-differentials.
But during Texas’ August swoon, the offense has fallen off and the relief pitching hasn’t been able to lock it down.
Both factors, again, hurt the Rangers on Sunday in Minnesota as Texas lost 7-6 in 13 innings at Target Field.
Texas couldn’t hold an early 5-0 advantage and lost on a bases-loaded walk by Jonathan Hernández (1-2). The Rangers' ninth loss in the past 10 games dropped them into second place in the AL West for the first time since April 8 -- one game behind the Mariners, who beat the Royals to gain sole possession of first. With head-to-head records the first determining factor regarding tiebreakers, the Rangers are 5-1 against the Mariners with seven more games to play against them -- including a four-game series to end the regular season.
“I think they know the situation,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Win ballgames, there’s no magic wand here. We hit a tough stretch here, tough rut and we’re going to come out and fight. That’s all you can do, which they did.”
The season numbers reflect a team that has been in first place for all but one day this season.
Texas started the day with the second-best OPS in the Majors (.797), the third-most runs per game (5.59) and the second-best run-differential (plus-173). But the offense has struggled with runners in scoring position during its tough stretch.
For the season, the Rangers have a .281 average with runners in scoring position, tied for second in the Majors. Over the past 10 games, they have a .110 average with runners in scoring position after going 2-for-17 in those situations on Sunday.
“We’ll definitely find out what we’re made of tomorrow because long game today, big series coming up,” said second baseman Marcus Semien, who had two hits on Sunday. “I think that we’ll learn from it. Whatever little things didn’t get done, we’ll learn from it and move on.”
With the games being closer, more of a spotlight has been put on the bullpen.
In Saturday’s win that snapped a season-high, eight-game losing streak, the relievers didn’t allow a run for the first time in 10 games. In the 1-9 stretch, the bullpen has allowed 31 earned runs and has six blown saves.
Sunday’s starter Jordan Montgomery pitched 5 1/3 innings, but he was chased in the sixth with 91 pitches after loading the bases. Chris Stratton entered and allowed a grand slam to Royce Lewis.
The 5-0 lead was built by J.P. Martínez’s first career homer and a grand slam by Jonah Heim.
Aroldis Chapman suffered a blown save when he allowed a run in the ninth to push the game to extra innings. Chapman walked two batters and was given a disengagement violation for throwing to first base three times.
In the 13th inning -- after both teams plated a run in the 12th -- Hernández struck out the first two batters he faced. But he walked three straight batters to plate the winning run.
“Jonny looked like he was getting out of it there and then he just lost it, lost his command,” Bochy said. “A hard-fought game. I will say that the guys were fighting, but we just did not do much with runners in scoring position and that’s going to come back to get you.”
Texas will start a three-game road series against the New York Mets on Monday, starting the day in second place for just the second time this season.
“I think it’s anybody’s division,” Semien said. “You look at us in the beginning of the year, you look at the division at the beginning of the year, you could say the same thing. So, we’ve got a lot of baseball to play this last month. Whoever plays the best baseball will be playing at the end. That’s the way I look at it.”