Shifting Moods

I think the Rangers are starting to miss Michael Young. It didn't take long-not that I expected it to. I accepted yesterday's loss partly because it was a close game, but more so because the suddenly decrepit Boston Red Sox fell victim to the White Sox, meaning the Rangers didn't lose any ground in the Wild Card. Going into Sunday, I suspected that the Red Sox would come out with a win, but I fully expected the Rangers to do the same. Jeremy Guthrie, one of the worst starters in baseball, against Derek Holland, who would almost undoubtedly bounce back from his disastrous outing last monday. Instead, Holland looked incredibly vulnerable for the third consecutive start, while Guthrie held the incompetent Ranger lineup in check for seven innings.

To add to the misery is the fact that both LA and Boston won today, dropping the Rangers back even further in the races. I'm far from putting up the flag on the season, but I said a few days ago that the Rangers needed to sweep or take the series from both Baltimore and Cleveland. So far, they're 0 for 1. I don't want to sound like I'm asking too much, but the Rangers need to sweep the Indians. They did it in April, they can do it in September.

It's funny how moods change so often in a pennant race. Just yesterday, before Texas fell to the Orioles 5-4, the Rangers seemed to be unstoppable. They had won four straight, they had Kevin Millwood on the mound, and it looked like a Baltimore sweep wasn't out of the question. Now, just over 24 hours later, the outlook is one of oppressive despair and vexation. And now, if the Rangers go and sweep the Indians, we'll be back to where we were yesterday, feeling very good about the Rangers. But they can't keep doing this. They can't keep shifting the mood. They need to win, win, win. They need to make us feel great, because in truth it's the only way they'll catch Boston or LA. They had a great chance to get within one game of the Red Sox this weekend and they passed it up. If they want to be a playoff team, they can't waste opportunities. Playoff teams take advantage of good situations. Look what the Angels are doing to the Royals. The Rangers are yet to prove that they are worthy of being considered equal or superior to the Angels. Let's hope that changes soon. Very soon, before it's too late.