Monday Morning Texas Rangers Update

Good morning. Welcome to the All-Star break. The break seems to come at a bad time for the Rangers because, 1. they were playing pretty well the last few days there, and 2. they were playing pretty well there the last few days until yesterday when they couldn’t score a run for Yu Darvish and now they (and more importantly, we) have to sit and live with that for nearly five days.

I’ve become pretty zen when it comes to following the Rangers over the last ten years or so. Something about them generally being good for a while now has really taken the edge off. However, nothing gets me riled up and sports mad quite like when the Rangers spoil the efforts of Yu Darvish.

It’s probably because it happens so often. And that’s especially true this season and entirely true over the last two months.

It’s frustrating to look back on yesterday’s game and know that Yu certainly went to the mound confident that the team that scored 23 runs in the last three games would put up at least a few for him as well.

It’s frustrating to know that after Yu relinquished the first run of the game with two outs in the first inning that the game was essentially already over.

We’ve probably got about 12-14 more Yu Darvish starts to enjoy and it’s frustrating to know that we probably won’t be able to actually enjoy several of them.

Anyway, you’re not here for my vitriol so here’s some red hot saucy links and such:

Levi Weaver recaps the 3-0 loss to the Angels by aptly comparing Darvish to a legend around here who is no doubt beloved by the same people who seem to think Yu Darvish is overrated.

Jeff Wilson reacts to the typically disappointing final game of the first half in the atypically disappointing first half for Texas in general.

T.R. Sullivan’s game story focuses on the lack of support for Darvish with quotes from some of the hitters who are obviously aware of the issue which makes me wonder if some of it is in their head a little bit by now.

Wilson looks back at a mostly annoying first half for the Rangers but writes that there are reasons for optimism for the second half.

Nevertheless, Yu Darvish has been unshackled from the rest of these chumps and is off to the All-Star festivities in Miami (where he won’t pitch because he pitched yesterday’s maddening game instead) where the only other Ranger set to join him, as Sullivan notes, is strength and conditioning coach Jose Vazquez.

Stefan Stevenson notes that Joey Gallo has been dealing with a nagging knee/hamstring/tendon thing and will use the break to get off his feet for a while.

And, lastly, what the Rangers clearly needed was a bawdy rally grandma if they wanted to win yesterday.

Have a nice day!