The Texas Rangers opened a crucial stretch Tuesday night with Jacob deGrom on the mound against José Soriano, starting a six-game run before the All-Star break that could shape both the standings and the trade deadline.
First pitch was set for 7:05 p.m. at Globe Life Field, where the Rangers entered at 45-45 and tied for one of the final AL Wild Card berths. They were also 1.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West Division, which makes every game in this series matter even more than the records suggest.
DeGrom, listed at 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA, gave Texas a chance to control the night against Soriano, who came in at 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA. That matchup alone explains why the series drew attention: it was not just a division game, but a meeting between two right-handers with nearly matching numbers and a Rangers club that had to keep pressure on the teams ahead of it.
The Angels arrived at 36-55 and 11 games behind the Mariners, so they were not chasing the division in any realistic sense. But they still had enough talent on the mound to matter to Texas, which is the part that can turn a late-June series into a bigger test than the standings on paper would suggest. The Rangers had spent Monday on their second day off in four days, and the timing left them with little margin to waste at the start of the final week of the first half.
That is why the next six games carry such weight for Texas. Staying in the playoff race would help set up Chris Young to be a buyer at the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but Ray Davis will ultimately decide how aggressive that can be. If the Rangers keep pace, they can keep their options open. If they slip, the conversation changes quickly, and a series that began as Angels Vs Rangers could end up deciding much more than one night at Globe Life Field.
