Would the Texas Rangers have rather not gone on this recent seven-game losing skid that most likely took them out of the running for the AL West crown and has them fighting for their playoff lives? There's no doubt.
But if you're looking for some silver lining, look no further than what should be a well-rested bullpen moving forward as the Rangers were never even in position to really use their winning pieces of the bullpen other than those two 1-0 losses during the skid.
In fact, the last game the Rangers won before Tuesday's skid-buster, was on the NFL's opening Sunday when Joe Nathan closed the door on a win in Anaheim that avoided a sweep to the Los Angeles Angels. Nathan hadn't pitched since then until he worked the ninth in Tuesday's rout of the Rays.
The Rangers have one of the best bullpens in baseball, especially when it's constructed correctly in a winning situation. Of course, the Rangers didn't lead a game at any point during the homestand.
On Tuesday, Joakim Soria, Neal Cotts, Tanner Scheppers and Nathan combined to toss four scoreless innings by giving up just two hits.
Cotts' workload was low over the last week, Scheppers' was even lighter and Nathan's was zero.
That's a positive thing moving forward. If the Rangers' bullpen flames out over the next two weeks, it definitely won't be because of fatigue.
