Weekend Proves Pitching Isn't the Problem

The Texas Rangers have had incredibly bad luck with injuries this season that have absolutely decimated their once-promising pitching staff.

Derek Holland started the fun back in January by tripping over his dog and needing knee surgery. He'll be back within the next month, most likely. Yu Darvish started the season on the disabled list. Matt Harrison is out for the season after making four starts and Martin Perez had Tommy John surgery on Monday. Neftali Feliz was supposed to be the Rangers' closer but instead couldn't find his form from Tommy John surgery in 2012. Colby Lewis started the season on the DL but is currently gutting it out and trying to find his old form.

You get the picture.

The Rangers have every reason to make excuses considering their serious pitching woes this year. But you know what, that hasn't been the problem with this year's Rangers, who are currently in fourth place in the AL West and seven games behind the first-place Oakland A's.

The Rangers allowed two, four and two runs in each of the three games this weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays, which are second in baseball in home runs behind Colorado and third in the American League in runs scored behind Oakland and the White Sox.

Yes, pitching injuries are awful, but the guys the Rangers have had kept them competitive. It's the Rangers' offense that's failing. Their six runs they scored in Sunday's win was the most they'd scored since May 9, when they beat the Red Sox 8-0. Their Sunday total matched their output from the previous three games.

So if the bats can get something going, they could be OK. The pitching, as staggered as it's been, has been doing well enough for the most part.

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