Down the stretch they come. And the Texas Rangers are picking up speed at just the right time.
September is finally here and the long march back to the postseason is 28 games away, including three against the second-place Houston Astros, who come to Globe Life Park desperately trying to keep their American League West title and wild card hopes alive.
The Rangers begin the final month 8 { games up at 80-54, the best record in franchise history entering September.
They only need go 17-11 to eclipse 2011's club-record 96 wins. A year ago, the Rangers started September four games back of the Astros and hadn't yet won their 70th game. They stormed to the finish, going 20-12 in September and four games in October, surged past the Astros and clinched the American League West title on the final day of the regular season. That wasn't the best final month in club history, though. They finished 19-6 in 2011 to win the West by 10 games.
The Rangers have had their share of strong finishes, including a three-year stretch in the 1970s when the Royals ruled the West. In 1977, they went 21-10 but finished eight games back of the Royals. In 1978, Texas finished 22-10, but ended tied with the Angels, five back of the Royals. Again, in '79, they finished 19-8 but finished third, five back of the West-clinching Angels.
This season, however, is shaping up differently. The Rangers have the best record in the American League and have been in first place since May 29. Manager Jeff Banister said it's no time to exhale.
"Only place you can be is where your feet are," he said. "If we talked about exhale moments, the next thing you know you find yourself in a bad spot."
While navigating the stretch drive, the Rangers are likely to give everyday players some days off and give their starting pitchers an extra day of rest here and there. The club is mulling the option of using a six-man rotation for a week to rest some arms when Colby Lewis returns from a rehab stint.
It's a delicate balance. They want to clinch as soon as possible, preferably with the best record in the AL to ensure home-field advantage in the postseason. Only the Chicago Cubs (48-19) have been better at home than the Rangers (45-21). But a chance to regroup and rest up could pay off in the postseason.
"Winning is important ... but the health of those guys and the appropriate rest, if you will, if we need to give them an extra day is also important, probably more important than the other part of it," Banister said. "Last I checked, we still have [28] games left. We haven't won the opportunity to do anything yet. We haven't earned the opportunity to do anything other than play today's game."
And the flurry of intensity the final month a year ago, when the Rangers were playing for a spot in the postseason until the final week is still etched in Banister's mind. Perhaps the team ran out of steam after taking the first two games against the Blue Jays in the ALDS?
Perhaps an easier September race would have prevented Adrian Beltre's back from seizing up? Beltre was blistering at the plate last September (plus four games in October), hitting .344 with five homers and 38 RBIs. He's at it again. He hit .333 with nine homers and 24 RBIs in August.
"It's a player [who] smells the playoffs. It's about the only thing he plays for, the desire to win, desire to play in the World Series, to win a World Series," Banister said. "Playoff opportunity sharpens great players. Heightens their desires. You see great players do great things in big moments."
