The Texas Rangers have played better at home recently after spending much of the season as one of the worst home teams in baseball, yet as one of the best teams on the road — the reason they've been in contention for much of the year.
Their recent play at home, however, has put them back close to the .500 mark at Globe Life Park, and their last series at home ended in a sweep of a Baltimore team that was still very much in contention at the time.
After 10 days away, the Rangers return home on Friday to begin a 10-game homestand beginning with a three-game set against last-place Oakland, and the Rangers must protect their house.
Texas went 5-5 on their 10-game road trip — nothing to bat an eye at — but a 5-5 mark in a 10-game homestand would likely be a postseason hopes crusher, especially when four of those games are against the team the Rangers are currently chasing in the AL West race, the Houston Astros.
In actuality, the Rangers really could use a sweep of the 60-80 A's heading into the four-game set against the Astros before closing the homestand against a Seattle team that has owned them this year.
The Rangers need to shoot for a 7-3 homestand, and to get that their offense is going to have to come back to life in a hurry. Anything better than that would be a bonus, and anything less could be disastrous.
