ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The title defense for the Texas Rangers is over. The reigning World Series champions were eliminated from postseason contention during their last homestand of the season.
The Rangers went into Saturday night’s matchup with Seattle eight games behind Minnesota for the third AL wild card with eight to go. The Twins won the season series 5-2.
Houston entered Saturday with a magic number of four to clinch the division title. The Astros took the top spot in the AL West last season after tying the Rangers at 90-72 and winning the season series.
Texas edged Houston in a seven-game AL championship series last year before beating Arizona in five games in the World Series.
“I’d say we’re all disappointed with where we’re at now,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said before his club’s second-to-last game at Globe Life Field this season. “It’s always difficult when you see these teams clinch and celebrating and you’re not, especially coming off the year that we had.”
A year after they were in first place in the AL West for all but one day over the first five months of the season, the Rangers didn’t lead the division after May 11.
Texas dropped below .500 with a loss to Philadelphia on May 21. The next loss for the Rangers (73-81) would clinch their seventh losing record in the past eight seasons.
The Rangers knew they would have to make it most of the season without ace Jacob deGrom coming off the right-hander’s elbow surgery in June 2023.
Fellow multiple Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was limited to nine starts by a variety of health issues.
Outfielder Evan Carter, a rookie sensation in the postseason last year, didn’t play past May because of a bad back. Josh Jung, an All-Star third baseman as a rookie, missed three months with a broken wrist.
Among the players who didn’t have health issues, right fielder Adolis García and catcher Jonah Heim couldn’t match their offensive production from the championship season.
The Rangers were third in the majors in runs during their title season. They were tied for 21st going into the game against the Mariners.
“Offensively, we just didn’t show up like we did last year,” said All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien, who is about 20 points off his career batting average of .255. “In this league, you have to hit for power, you have to play good defense. I’ll always say that till I’m done playing. We didn’t always do that.”
It will be the fourth time a Bochy-led team hasn’t made the postseason the year after winning the World Series. He won titles with San Francisco in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The Giants beat the Rangers for Bochy’s first championship.
“The thing that I loved is how we came out of the gate,” said Bochy, whose team was a season-high five games over .500 and in first place on May 8. “We actually played good baseball. The offense started struggling. We couldn’t find our way out of it. That’s what I think surprised everybody.”
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