Rangers swept by Astros in 3–1 defeat; lose 12th straight game
HOUSTON — All but one batter in the Houston Astros lineup on Sunday got on base in the team’s 3–1 series sweep-clinching victory over the Texas Rangers, which came to a conclusion with Texas manager Chris Woodward — who was ejected from the game in the 5th inning — not in attendance.
For the Rangers, who have now lost twelve straight, struggling to both create and prevent runs has become a running theme as of late.
Evan Grant with the Dallas Morning News said via Twitter the skid could be considered one of the worst offensive stretches by a team in MLB history. Texas remains in last place in the AL West with a record of 35–65.
“I can promise everybody watching that we’re not going to stop,” Woodward said in his postgame presser when asked to put into context what this losing streak means for his club moving forward.
“We’re not going to stop working, we’re not going to stop leaning on these guys. Obviously the players have taken accountability to it. You can tell they’re frustrated.”
He then praised his staff for staying the course and exemplifying leadership through this stretch.
“It’s the toughest situation I’ve ever been a part of … but we just can’t stop fighting. We can’t stop believing we’ll get out of this.”
Joey Gallo finished 0–4 with two strikeouts as the MLB trade deadline quickly approaches. His potential involvement in being dealt by the team has been hotly debated by fans over the past several weeks.
The Rangers — who are now 26 games behind the Astros — return home for a two-game series with the Diamondbacks, three-game series with the Mariners, and a four-game series with the Angels.
It’s the perfect opportunity for the squad to find some sort of footing as they look forward to the merciful end of a turbulent campaign.
