Rangers Reaction accentuates the positives despite loss to Angels

The Rangers lost but Sunday was filled with mostly good news. Colby Lewis pitched well in his return to the rotation, Tanner Scheppers crossed an important hurdle and the Astros lost, reducing the Rangers’ magic number to 10.

The Rangers open a three-game series in Houston Monday night. It’s the Astros’ last gasp chance to make some hay in the division and keep their wild card berth hopes alive. A three-game sweep by the Rangers would reduce the magic number to four and the division would for all practical purposes, be clinched. If the Astros swept, they’d pulled to within  6 1/2 with 16 games remaining. Still an incredible mountain to overcome.

Here are three thoughts on Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Angels:

1. Your Daily Beltre — Adrian Beltre homered twice and had three of the Rangers’ five hits. Normally, this would be where his defensive exploits were listed but Sunday was a designated hitter day for the 37 year old. In 10 September games, Beltre is hitting .400 with an on-base percentage of .467, slugging percentage of .725 and OPS of 1.192. He has 16 hits, including four homers, a double, and seven RBIs. Oh, and he stole second base Sunday to give him his first of the season. He’s had one steal in each of his six seasons with the Rangers.

“I was just too quick,” Beltre joked. “We’re down by one, [Angels pitcher Jered Weaver] wasn’t paying attention to me.”

Beltre made sure his teammates saw his wheels once back in the dugout.

“They were talking smack because I hadn’t stolen a base this year,” he said. “Just showing them that I still have it.”

2. Good with the Gomez — Carlos Gomez was picked off twice this week, including in a crucial moment after leading off the eighth with a single. It goes down as a 1-3-6 caught stealing. When it happened in Seattle, manager Jeff Banister shouldered the blame, saying he called for Gomez to go on the first pitch. It doesn’t sound like that was the case Sunday.

“We have guys who have green lights to go,” he said. “It was a good pick-off move and we got picked off, plain and simple.”

The Rangers were trailing 3-2 with the speedy Gomez on first and Ian Desmond and Rougned Odor due up. Instead, Gomez was picked off and Desmond and Odor struck out. Rally extinguished.

3. Power Rangers — The Baltimore Orioles lead the majors with 226 homers. The St. Louis Cardinals lead the National League with 204. The Rangers aren’t going to catch the O’s, but they currently rank 6th in the majors with 195 homers, including Beltre’s two on Sunday. It’s the most the Rangers have hit since hitting 200 in 2012. Rougned Odor leads the club with 30, followed by Beltre (29), and Ian Desmond and Mitch Moreland (22). Carlos Beltran has 27, including five with the Rangers, and Jonathan Lucroy has 23, including 10 with the Rangers. The 195 homers include only those hit for the Rangers.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 1:46 AM with the headline "Rangers Reaction accentuates the positives despite loss to Angels."