ARLINGTON -- Memorial Day is typically a good benchmark during a baseball season. It’s a good date -- about one-third of the way through 162 -- to evaluate your team and the league.
How is being no-hit by your in-state rival for a litmus test?
The Rangers were no-hit by an Astros trio of Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa, falling 9-0 to open the four-game set at Globe Life Field on Monday night. This is the sixth time the Rangers have been no-hit since relocating to Arlington in 1972, and the first time since Corey Kluber in 2021.
The Rangers’ five baserunners (all walks) were their most in any of the franchise’s previous six no-hitters.
The first inning was promising. Joc Pederson, Alejandro Osuna and Ezequiel Duran drew three walks within the first four batters of the game for Texas. None scored.
Lackluster hitting with runners in scoring position has been the theme of the Rangers’ season so far. But the night only got worse from there.
Imai quickly locked in his command. He allowed one more walk in the fourth inning, but faced the minimum from the second through sixth innings. Okert issued a leadoff walk of his own in the seventh but quickly shut down any potential threat. Santa, making his MLB debut, cruised through the final two frames.
“I thought we were going to have at least a crooked number [in the first inning], and we didn't score,” said manager Skip Schumaker. “I think that was the start. That set the tone of our day. We had baserunners via the walk, but we didn't have much hard contact. The first person that you gotta look at is me. I gotta figure out a different way to message as far as the offensive side. That's how you move on, that’s how you move forward. You look at yourself in the mirror first, and that starts with me.”
The “messaging” was a consistent refrain following the no-hitter. How are Schumaker and the hitting coaches putting the Rangers hitters in the best position to succeed?
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who drew two walks, said he believes he is prepared going to the plate in every game. He can’t speak for the entire clubhouse, but he believes in the plan that is given to him by the staff and has been able to execute it.
But at the end of the day, Monday’s no-hitter felt like a culmination of two-plus years of offensive struggles for the Rangers. The no-no is obviously going to be the focus. But the reality is that the lack of offensive production is far from an isolated incident.
Since having the best offense in the American League in 2023, the Rangers have been on a steady decline with a bottom 10 OPS in each of the last two seasons. There’s no panic to this point, but there should be a sense of urgency to finally get things straightened out before it’s actually too late.
“There has to be discussion of laying down more bunts, doing the hit and run, trying to steal more bags,” Nimmo said. “The conversation has to be figuring out a way to push across some runs but not trying to do anything that nobody's capable of. It's about what is your skill set, and how do we amplify that? How do we put pressure on the defense by using the skill set that each guy has? We're going to try and use the guys that we have here right now and do the very best that we can to utilize their strengths.”
And about that Memorial Day evaluation.
“It's challenging because of the injuries,” Schumaker said pregame. “Coming out of Spring Training, it looks a lot different, however many weeks ago compared to right now. It’s significantly different. Our entire infield today is different.”
And to be fair, he’s not wrong.
Of the seven non-catcher position players who started on Monday, not a single one started on Opening Day. Star shortstop Corey Seager has been out for more than a week with back inflammation. Left fielder Wyatt Langford for a month with a forearm strain. Second baseman Josh Smith has a laundry list of injuries that most recently includes viral meningitis. Even third baseman Josh Jung, who has been the club’s best hitter this season, has been down for back-to-back games with shoulder soreness.
All of that may be true, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Texas has to find ways to win with the roster it has. The Rangers, amidst a season-high four-game losing streak while dropping seven of their last 10, have not found a way to do that.
“There's no excuse when you get no-hit, absolutely no excuse,” Schumaker said. “But the takeaway is that we have to do something different. I'm going to continue to look at different ways to make it click. We just haven't done great on the offensive side. We're going to discuss it again tonight, probably all night long, and again tomorrow.
“You just don't want to stand still and just keep watching the same thing happen over and over again. If you don't come with something different after a tough night like this, then I'm not doing my job. I have to figure out some sort of different messaging to help you know our team move forward.”