With an off day today, the Texas Rangers will get some rest after winning eight straight games, all on the road.
With the way the Rangers have been playing lately, you almost don't want today's rest day.
The impressive streak bumped Texas' record to 41-28, good for first place in the AL West and 3.5 games ahead of the Angels. Only the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox have better records in the AL.
Baseball is a game of streaks. If the Rangers can string together two or three long winning streaks this season, then play .500 ball the rest of the year, they'd be in position to win the AL West. Look, I have bigger dreams, too, but one step at a time. We haven't won the West since 1999.
There's no way around it: This is the best I've felt about the team all season. Yeah, the last three series opponents were Milwaukee (29-40), Florida (33-36) and Houston (26-44). Not the strongest.
Honestly, I don't care.
Winning eight in a row on the road is no easy task. Texas was 10-17 on the road before this streak. Proving that the Rangers can win away from Arlington is vital, particularly if the goal is the AL West this season.
Here's what's stood out to me most on the enjoyable winning streak:
• Josh Hamilton.
This guy should be sleeping in his uniform every night, the way he's playing. He's on a tear. The average is up to .337. It was .289 on June 1. Hamilton went 5-for-6 against Houston and stroked the game-winning hit in a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
I got back from my buddy David's wedding in Des Moines, Iowa, in time to see the end of the game. When Hamilton made contact, I immediately threw my hands up in jubilation and knew it'd find a hole in the Houston defense.
Hamilton had to feel slighted by the Astros intentionally walking Vladimir Guerrero — who had been 0-for-5 prior to the free pass — in order to get a left-handed pitcher to face him.
Vlad's been raking all season. I can't say I blame Houston for the move. Just shows how good the lineup can be, though, even when Vlad goes 0-for-5. He's still an intimidating presence.
• How about Julio Borbon?
The guy's almost hitting .300, which was unfathomable a month or two ago. On June 1, he was hitting .234. He's now at .294. I documented the beginning of Borbon's resurgence a little more than a week ago. He still hasn't stopped hitting, even when manager Ron Washington temporarily moved him to the leadoff spot on Sunday so Elvis Andrus could get a day off.
Andrus has been struggling of late, going hitless in his last 10 at-bats and seeing his average dip to .275. Personally, I'd leave Borbon in the No. 9 slot and keep Andrus at leadoff. Elvis still has an impressive on-base percentage of .360. He still walks and has 19 stolen bases. He's on pace to score well over 100 runs. Borbon doesn't walk enough to be a leadoff guy right now. But I love the 60-point raise in Borbon's batting average in under a month's time. If he sustains that groove, and Elvis gets going again, the speed combination we'd have at the beginning and end of the lineup would be tough to stop.
• Colby Lewis, welcome back (for good).
The right-hander won't be going back to Japan any time soon. He tossed a complete-game, two hitter against Houston over the weekend, striking out nine and walking no one. A great sign, since the walks have occasionally crept up on him this year.
• When Nelson Cruz returns from the DL, Texas could have the best lineup in the AL.
Andrus, Young, Kinsler, Guerrero, Hamilton, Cruz, Smoak, Treanor, Borbon.
I'd take that against anyone. Cruz should return when Texas begins a three-game home series against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Let's hope the streak continues.
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