Home Baseball Rangers’ Path to the Playoffs Is Made Difficult by the Guardians

Rangers’ Path to the Playoffs Is Made Difficult by the Guardians

Baseball — 09/17/2023

Now that the season is winding down, every game is crucial for clubs that are on the verge of missing the postseason and leaving early.

Though the Cleveland Guardians aren’t yet technically out of the playoff picture, their chances get less with each Minnesota Twins victory. The Texas Rangers, on the other hand, have a lot riding on each game since they are in the middle of the American League Wild Card race.

Texas had a slight advantage over the Toronto Blue Jays going into their series with the Guardians after sweeping them in four games earlier this week. Texas entered their series against Cleveland with a lot of momentum, but they failed to take advantage of this chance.

In game one, the Guardians came out strong, scoring 12 runs on 15 hits. In seven scoreless innings, Lucas Giolito also reverted to form, striking out 12 opponents.

Even though the game on Saturday night was considerably closer, the outcome remained the same. Cleveland defeated the playoff contenders in a tight game, 2-1, to win the series. With a win on Sunday, the Guardians may sweep the Rangers.

Texas might have exploited this series against a struggling Guardians team to create a little separation from the pack as they compete with the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners for the last Wild Card slot. Instead, they lost momentum and now hold a tenuous (+0.5 games) lead in the postseason race.

With this shocking series win over Texas, Cleveland has undoubtedly made it much more challenging and tough for Texas to reach the playoffs.

Ironically, Cleveland has won both of its season series against the Blue Jays and Mariners, and on Sunday, it may tie its season series with the Rangers. This just serves to highlight the Guardians’ performance this season and their potential for the upcoming one.

The Guardians might not have made the playoffs, but this series win demonstrates that they are still playing passionately and with persistence. This is something that other teams that are in the Rangers’ situation need to keep in mind when playing Cleveland.