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49-27 - Rangers ransack Red Sox, become first team to 49 wins

Rangers move to 22 games over .500 for the first time with series win over Boston

By ghostofErikThompson
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Excusing the uncharacteristic accursed 9th inning by the good part of the Rangers' bullpen on Friday night, the Rangers manhandled the Red Sox for like 26 of the 27 innings this weekend.

The Red Sox were in a funk when they began this series in Arlington, so perhaps the Rangers were catching them at the right time, but Boston is indeed expected to be one of the potential American League usurpers to Texas' throne as we inch toward the season's second half.

For now, with a 6-2 victory and series win, the Rangers have emphatically placed themselves atop the pecking order in the AL. Texas is now 19-4-2 in series this season. Texas finished their abbreviated homestand with a record of 4-2. Texas is back to a lead in the American League West by 10 games over Houston. Texas leads the American League by 3.5 games.

Texas leads baseball in wins with 49 surpassing the Cubs. Texas is also just percentage points behind Chicago in a virtual tie for the best overall record in the Major Leagues. Prince Fielder is even hitting now.

I don't even know what to complain about. The Rangers get too many double plays and it's making their FIP look bad! If baseball standings were ordered by contextless aggregate numbers the Rangers would be in last place, surely!

I know it's all luck and smoke and mirrors and clustering and sequencing but it's very nearly July and you could make a conclusion that the Rangers are the best team in baseball simply by looking at the standings which is coincidentally how these things are measured.

Player of the Game:

Up Next: Chi Chi Gonzalez takes Colby Lewis' spot in his return to the rotation in New York for his first big league appearance of 2016. The Yankees will counter with RHP Ivan Nova in the series opener from the Bronx. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm CT.