‘This can never happen again.’ Texas Rangers lose 100th game for first time since 1973.
The Texas Rangers lost their 100th game of the season Wednesday night.
The 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field secured the franchise’s seventh 100-loss season and first since 1973. The club lost 105 games that year. It’s second only to the 106 losses by the Washington Senators in 1963. Since moving to Arlington, the Rangers have recorded three 100-loss seasons.
“It sucks. It’s obviously our 100th loss. I’m not proud of that,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “If it’s 99 or 101, it still sucks either way. There’s no sugar-coating it.”
The Rangers have four games remaining, including the series finale against the Angels at 1 p.m. Thursday and the three-game season finale against the Cleveland Indians starting Friday in Arlington.
Woodward said the players, his staff and himself all need to improve their performance next year.
“We’re not going to quit. I have 100% confidence in this organization. We’re going to win a championship. We have to use it and say this can never happen again,” Woodward said. “A lot of it wasn’t good this year and we have to get better in a lot of ways.
The Rangers are the third team this season to lose 100 games or more. The Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks had both lost 107 games as of Wednesday night.
“I didn’t even know it until you said it,” said starting pitcher Taylor Hearn, who took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. “If you ask me, the one that hurt the most was Opening Day. You always want to get off on a good foot.”
With more than 23,000 fans paid to see Wednesday’s game (far fewer attended), the Rangers surpassed 2 million in attendance. They’re the only American League team to do so this season. The Dodgers, Padres and Braves have done it in the National League.
The Rangers were one of the few teams with no attendance restrictions when the season started because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was also the first year Rangers fans could see the team play in Globe Life Field, which opened in 2020. No fans were allowed at MLB stadiums during the 2020 regular season because of the pandemic.
100-loss seasons in Texas Rangers franchise history
106: 1963 (Washington Senators)
105: 1973 (Texas Rangers)
101: 1962 (Senators)
100: 1972 (Rangers)
100: 1964 (Senators)
100: 1961 (Senators)
100: 2021 (Rangers)
Note: The Washington Senators moved to Arlington for the 1972 season and became the Texas Rangers.
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 10:32 PM.
