Thoughts on a 4-2 Rangers loss

A's 4, Rangers 2

• Once the season is over, and we're looking back over the 162 regular season games the Rangers will have played in 2014, this is one of those games we'll be looking at and thinking to ourselves, "Did this game really occur?"  A mid-week game in Oakland, in the midst of a road trip, with nothing particularly memorable happening during the game, one more generic loss with a hapless lineup in a lost season.  If you can't remember anything about a game, did it ever really happen?
• Nick Tepesch allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in 5 IP today, which seems to be what I write about the Rangers' starting pitching performance in about half the post-game writeups lately.  4 runs, 5 IP, 9 hits, that seems like the usual breakdown for a non-Yu Darvish start.  Tepesch now has a 4.38 ERA on the season.
• Scott Baker went three scoreless, at least.  With an off-day tomorrow, the Rangers will go into Anaheim with most of their bullpen having had two days off, giving them rested arms for the weekend series against the Angels.
• Only six hits for the Rangers today, with Sonny Gray going 7 for the A's, and Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle each pitching a shutout inning.  Alex Rios had a double, Shin-Soo Choo had a pair of singles, and Elvis Andrus, Robinson Chirinos and Luis Sardinas each had singles.  A thoroughly uninspiring performance by the bats today.
• Brad Snyder, called up as the stop gap first baseman, was 0 for 3 with 2 Ks, and is now 3 for 19 with 6 strikeouts since being brought up to the majors.  Snyder's AAA line this year included an alarming K rate, and so far, he's striking out at an alarming rate in the majors.
• Of course, it isn't as if the Rangers have any better options at first base right now.