Thoughts on a 5-3 ALDS Game 2 Rangers loss

Jays 5, Rangers 3

• Sigh.
• In a way, yesterday's game was easy to write about afterwards.  Everything was bad, Texas was never in it, we chalk it up to one of those days and go on.
• Today, though...today was a winnable game.  Yu Darvish was on the mound, and pitched pretty well...only, you know, except for those home runs.  All those home runs.  Four in all, including a bomb from Kevin Pillar on a fastball so high that it was something of a miracle he even got the bat on the ball.
• And yet, despite giving up four home runs, Darvish didn't seem to be awful.  Then the bullpen came in and did work, keeping the Jays off the board.  And the Rangers got hits, and got base runners, and had chances.
• So many chances.
• So many chances, that weren't capitalized on.
• It's maddening.  This was the type of game the Rangers won time and time again in 2016.  Get down early, fight back, come up with a key hit or a big home run late, celebrate a walk off one run victory.  And in the 8th, and the 9th, I was sure that would happen.  Sure that Carlos Beltran would come through, that Rougned Odor would go deep, that Jonathan Lucroy would have another big RBI.
• And it didn't happen.  2 for 18 today with runners in scoring position.  All game, the Jays pitchers seemed to be in trouble, the Ranger offense seemed poised for a big inning...and it didn't happen.
• It was a winnable game at home, and the Rangers didn't win.  In July, such a game is shrugged off as one of 162.  In October, though, it is monumental...and a reminder of how different playoff baseball is, how different baseball playoffs are from other sports.  We felt confident with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish, and both ended up giving up a bunch of runs.  It happens in baseball.  Again, in July, we shrug it off and go on.  In October, it potentially means the end of your run before you even realize what is happening.
• Anyway, no Ranger baseball tomorrow, which is for the best, for me anyway.  Then Colby Lewis pitches at Toronto on Sunday, trying to avoid the sweep.
• Texas is still in it.  They can win Sunday.  Then Monday, bringing the series back home.  But man...this was a game they coulda, shoulda won.