The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

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Brian Richardson, Contributor • March 28, 2024
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Rangers lose to Rays, young Profar continues to impress

Jurickson Profar gets a face full of shaving cream after a win Sept. 2.
AP
Jurickson Profar gets a face full of shaving cream after a win Sept. 2.

Jurickson Profar gets a face full of shaving cream after a win Sept. 2. (AP)

As temperatures in Texas cooled down over the weekend, so did the Rangers’ bats. With a 6-0 loss to James Shields and the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday, the Rangers lost the series 2-1 to a team if will likely face in the playoffs.

The Rangers hadn’t lost a series since the middle of August when the team was defeated 3-1 by the Yankees. Texas also hadn’t been shut out since July 14, in a 7-0 loss to the Mariners.

Shields definitely did his part Sunday pitching for nine innings, holding the Rangers to only two hits and striking out eight.
Even with the loss, the Rangers do have a few consolation prizes to bring back to the ballpark.

Including Sunday’s loss, the Rangers finished 24-16 in the American League East, historically the toughest division. It’s the best record Texas has posted against the East since going 42-20 back in 1996.

The first two games of the series were much closer, much more competitive and were accompanied by better pitching from the Rangers.

Starting pitchers Derek Holland and Yu Darvish both pitched into the eighth and continued to show signs of improvement.
Roy Oswalt, who had been suffering from forearm stiffness, was given a spot start Sunday to help out the rotation by giving a fatigued Matt Harrison extra days of rest.

The Rangers have discovered a weapon in the bat of Jurickson Profar; the 19-year-old who homered at his first plate appearance last week.

He had another moment to write home about when he doubled and scored a winning run in the 10th inning Saturday against the Rays.

Profar has proven that he can handle high-pressure situations and produce when his team needs runs.

In the last two postseasons, the Rangers advanced all the way to the World Series only to be beaten by teams whose bench-play out performed its own.

Profar’s emergence has made him very valuable, if he can continue to produce. His stability off the bench will be key going into October.

The Rangers had a day off Monday after playing 38 games in 40 days. They hadn’t played at home since the end of August with 17 of their last 30 matchups on the road.

However, more than half of the Rangers’ remaining 22 games left in the 2012 regular season will be at home in Arlington, Texas. No team has done better than Texas at home, who is 43-25 in 2012.

Texas began a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians Tuesday, and will host the Seattle Mariners for three games over the weekend. 

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