Rangers believe in their chemistry
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Heading into their third postseason in four years, the Texas Rangers insist things will be different this time. They surely can't do any worse. Texas has won just one of seven games, losing its last six. They
scored just one run in three games last October. But this year the Rangers believe they have the right mix of
pitching, hitting and confidence to beat anyone -- even their
nemesis, the New York Yankees. "I think everybody in this room knows we have the talent to do
it, and the way we've played all year against the good teams, I
think we all realize that we have the mental makeup to do it,"
third baseman Todd Zeile said. "Now it's a matter of putting those
two things together at the right time." The Rangers did that over the weekend, rebounding from a
weeklong slump to take three straight from second-place Oakland.
Their bats came alive to score 12, 10 and 10 runs, and their
starter won each game. With three outs to go in the clincher Sunday, Texas already was
looking ahead to the playoffs and a likely first-round matchup with
New York. Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" was played over the
loudspeakers and "Bring on the Yankees" was flashed on the
scoreboard. It's a bold attitude for a team that has been eliminated by New
York in its only two postseason appearances, 1996 and '98. The
Rangers have lost six straight playoff games to the Yankees, and
they scored just one run in a three-game sweep last October. But Texas players keep saying they look forward to the chance of
going to the Bronx and confronting their playoff demons head on. "Absolutely," slugger Juan Gonzalez said. "Because we're a
better team." Two of the three probable playoff scenarios have the Rangers and
Yankees meeting in the first round. The only way around it is if
Texas ends the regular season with the same or better record as
Cleveland, which would bring likely wild-card team Boston to The
Ballpark. Since the Yankees and wild-card Boston are in the same division,
they can't meet in the first round. The Rangers went into Monday night's game against Seattle
trailing the Indians by 2½ games. To play Boston in the first
round, Texas only has to tie Cleveland because it holds the
tiebreaker in their season series. The Rangers' 3-2 victory over
Seattle Monday night left Texas two games behind the Indians. Home-field advantage in a New York-Texas series also would go to
the team with the better record. The Yankees' 10-6 loss to Tampa
Bay Monday night cut their lead to the Rangers to one game going
into the final six days of the regular season. If they tie, the
Yankees get the nod by virtue of having won the season series with
the Rangers. "We're looking forward to being in the playoffs again and
seeing how far we can go," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "We
think we match up against the other playoff teams better than ever
before." The Rangers always have had lineups filled with bashers, but
this year's collection is their best ever. Six guys have at least
20 homers, four players have scored 100 or more runs and there are
three 100-RBI men. If Zeile and Rusty Greer each knock in at least
two more runs, the Rangers will have five triple-digit run
producers, tying a major-league record. The biggest reason Texas is closing in on the team record of 94
wins is because of an improved pitching staff, which includes one
of the best bullpens in baseball. The Rangers also have shown a knack for playing their best when
they needed it the most, which is what the playoffs are all about. Texas has won 15 of its last 18 games against teams with winning
records. That includes going 9-3 against Cleveland, New York and
Boston. The Rangers' ability to get up for big games contrasts a
tendency to lay down against bad teams. Over the last five weeks,
Texas has had three three-game losing streaks to teams below .500
and a stretch of three losses in four games. "When it's time really strap it on and go up against big
competition, we rise to the occasion," Oates said. Rafael Palmeiro's grand slam capped Sunday's victory and added
to his storybook return to Texas after five years in Baltimore. "We're not going to stop here," he said. "The goal is to get
to the World Series, and we're on the right track."
