The red coats are coming! The red coats are coming!
Well, they aren’t British, but they aren’t exactly the most liked bunch that has ever come to town wearing red.
With four games left in the 2013 regular season, the Los Angeles (don’t call me Anaheim) Angels come strolling into town and you better believe they’re not only licking their chops, but they smell blood in the water. The Angels have a chance to play the ultimate spoiler to the Texas Rangers, who almost have to come up with a sweep of that team in red to control their playoff destiny.
The Rangers were hoping for a little help from the New York Yankees, who faced the Tampa Bay Rays, as well as the Chicago White Sox and their battle with the Cleveland Indians. That help never came.
It’s not impossible for the Rangers to back into the second AL Wild Card spot, sitting just a game and a half back of the Indians, who currently hold that spot, but it’s an uphill climb that makes climbing Mount Everest look like the foothills of the central San Joaquin Valley.
- The Rangers may have swept the Houston Astros but, after all, is was the Houston Astros.
- Josh Hamilton spoiled the Rangers’ trip to the playoffs in 2012, now he has the chance to do it on purpose.
- C.J. Wilson did a disappearing act in the playoffs as the Rangers’ No.1 pitcher. Now he has a chance to make the Rangers disappear yet again.
- Oh, and then there are those guys named Mike Trout, Jered Weaver and Mike Trumbo, who would love to play the role of the spoiler before their own disappointing season comes to an end. At least they would have been able to say they played an important role at the end of the season.
In the next four days, the Texas Rangers will hand the ball to Matt Garza, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando, and finally, Yu Darvish, and hope all four come up with their best starts of the season. Only one problem. The offense has to show up as well, and that has seemed to be a tough feat when the Rangers aren’t playing Houston.
I won’t deny there’s no way this Texas Rangers team isn’t getting up for four huge games that will determine whether they play in the playoffs or watch them from home, nor will I deny they aren’t getting up for four huge games against the team that plays in Anaheim (not in Los Angeles), but I have to ask one very simple question.
Can the Rangers sweep the next four games?
How about a question followed by a friendly request?
Dear Cleveland, please pull a Cleveland. Thanks.
And then there’s two other notes of interest:
Hey Mitch Moreland. Hey David Murphy. These probably are your last four games in a Rangers uniform, so this might be as good a time as any to come up with your best performances of the year.
Hey Adrian Beltre, this is the team that decided not to sign you after you begged them to do so. How about a little payback the next four days?
Tonight starts four very big games and it’s only about one win at a time. So, Matt Garza, we ask that you take the ball with confidence, that you harness the good energy and block the bad (harness good, block bad), bring that “Wild Thing! You make my heart sing!” focus (minus the goofy glasses) to the mound tonight, and get that win.
Don’t expect Cleveland or Tampa Bay to fall on their face no matter how much you might wish upon a star, it really does make a difference who you are.
Get that win. And make our hearts sing while you are at it.
