Texas Rangers played listlessly in latest loss. Did they have a no-hitter hangover?
Here’s something fun to do this weekend, aside from coming to Globe Life Field: A card show.
The fine people at dallascardshow.com are staging yet another big show at the Delta Hotel Watters Creek Convention Center in Allen, starting Friday afternoon and running through Sunday afternoon.
This is another monster, with more than 500 tables sold to dealers from around the country who will be displaying their goods. And the Saturday autograph lineup includes Dwight Gooden.
Ten-year-old me would be flipping out. Adult me thinks it’s pretty cool, too.
So are no-hitters, by the way, no matter how many are thrown. How’s that for hot sports opinion?
The Texas Rangers were not no-hit Thursday for the second straight game, but they were shut out again.
Here’s some Rangers Reaction from a 2-0 loss to the New York Yankees.
No-hitter hangover?
Rangers manager Chris Woodward always seems to have the pulse of his team, and so does second baseman Nick Solak.
Their conclusion after their ninth loss in 10 games: There was no hangover from being no-hit Wednesday night by Corey Kluber.
OK, but Woodward said something was different about the Rangers in the finale of the four-game series against the Yankees.
The Rangers, Woodward said, were tentative. Tentative at the plate and on the bases, the few runners that they had. Solak gave the Rangers a first-inning single to end the hitless drought, and Dane Dunning tossed six scoreless innings against one of the best offenses in baseball.
The fight was missing, though, Woodward said.
“There were certain moments in the game today where we could have been the aggressor and we chose not to be,” he said. “Our guys are still playing. You can’t avoid frustration. You have to deal with it. You have to come back the next day, which our guys are going to do. I know that, but I’d prefer it was in our style of play.”
The Rangers are in the midst of playing 46 games in 48 days, so maybe they’ve finally worn down. They’re also not as good as the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Yankees, the past three opponents during this ongoing swoon.
The hitters’ weaknesses against breaking balls is being exposed. They aren’t grinding out at-bats as they were earlier this month. The Rangers were a .500 team as recently as May 9, the day before their current woes started.
It’s been unpleasant to watch at times, and it’s not going to get any easier with the Astros headed to town this weekend.
“If we’re going to go down, let’s go down fighting,” Woodward said.
Kiner-Falefa’s golden glove
If at the end of the season voters for the Rawlings Gold Glove are looking for reasons why they should vote for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, his fielding work Thursday will be awfully convincing.
And that ninth-inning play that was scored an error? What a load.
Kiner-Falefa was flagged for a throwing error on a play that ... he had to change directions after the ball hit pitcher Josh Sborz so hard it knocked his glove off, had to charge to field and then throw while moving.
The throw skipped and first baseman Nate Lowe couldn’t scoop it, but it shouldn’t have been an error because of the difficulty of the play.
Expect the league office to overturn that one in the coming days.
“I’m not sure about the E6 on the ball off Sborz’s shoulder,” Woodward said. “I’m not sure where that came from. We’ll probably get that one changed.”
A big reason why the Yankees scored only twice was because of Kiner-Falefa, who used his quick hands and baseball IQ to, as Dunning said, save runs.
Kiner-Falefa speared some hard grounders hit his way, but his best play was in the third after Mike Ford and Miguel Andujar opened with singles against Dunning.
After Tyler Wade struck out, DJ LeMahieu hit a grounder to Lowe. He threw to Kiner-Falefa at second base for one out, but Dunning was late covering first and there was no throw.
Kiner-Falefa, though, turned and threw to third base, where Ford had taken a wide turn. He had no chance to get back.
Inning over.
“Just absolutely amazing,” Dunning said. “He made a great heads-up play.”
Kiner-Falefa won the Gold Glove last season at third base. He will be in the hunt this season at shortstop, though perennial favorite Andrelton Simmons, now with the Minnesota Twins, will be difficult to beat.
Yang sticks
Lost in the Kluber no-hitter is that Hyeon-Jong Yang pitched well for the Rangers in his second MLB start.
The left-hander allowed both Yankees runs in the sixth after opening with five scoreless innings. He made pitches when he needed them, and managed to stay off the barrels of the Yankees’ biggest hitters.
It was good enough to earn him another start when that spot in the rotation comes up again, which as of now would be Tuesday depending on if the Rangers use the off day to manipulate the rotation.
“We’re definitely considering other options as we move forward,” Woodward said. “If Yang keeps pitching well, I like him. He deserves it.”
Woodward said the Rangers are still evaluating right-hander Kohei Arihara, who is on the injured list with a bruised middle finger but is throwing bullpen sessions. Ineffective this month, Arihara might need more side work to fix what’s ailing him mechanically.
He might also be headed toward a reduced role until he figures those things out.
