ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said his 2023 Miami Marlins team and this Rangers club share a starting staff and a clubhouse with players who have won before, as Texas enters the final 20 games at 70-72.
Schumaker spoke with Rangers Sports Network before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field.
The 2023 Marlins were Schumaker’s first team as a manager. Miami went 10-17 in August that year and entered September at 67-67. The Marlins clinched a National League wild card with a 7-3 win at Pittsburgh on Sept. 30 and finished 84-78. Schumaker was named NL Manager of the Year.
Schumaker said that Miami team ran on starting pitching handed to a good bullpen, plus timely hitting, and that the difference between teams that make it and teams that do not is the belief every day that they are going to win.
“What we’re trying to strive for right now, it starts with starting pitching. We had really good starting pitching and gave it to a really good bullpen. And then we had some timely hitting. We had some timely hitting yesterday. Unfortunately, the lead was where it was at, and we couldn’t have enough runs to end up winning the game,” Schumaker said. “But it’s just the character and the fight and the belief every single day that we’re going to win. And I think that’s the difference with teams that make it and teams that don’t.”
“Now there’s injuries that happen, and it’s tough to fill in some voids when teams are trying to push in that playoff and kind of fight in September,” Schumaker continued. “But I think that a lot of similarities here of having a really good starting staff, some guys that have won before in that clubhouse on the offensive side and knows what it takes. And I think it’s going to come down to the end. It’s going to be a crazy last week of the season. But these games early in September are going to be super meaningful with those games at the end really counting. So we’ve got to win these games starting today and then hopefully have a chance in the last week of the season.”
Where The Texas Rangers Stand Entering Saturday
Texas trails Houston by 3 games in the American League West after Friday’s 7-6 loss to Tampa Bay, which matched the Rangers’ largest deficit of the season. Cleveland entered Saturday at 72-70 and holds the third wild card, 2 games ahead of Texas and 1 game ahead of Toronto.
The Rangers had won four of five before Friday. Cal Quantrill threw 7 scoreless innings in Thursday’s 6-0 win over the Rays, and Jacob deGrom (10-9, 4.00 ERA) starts Saturday against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen (14-5, 2.95). First pitch is 6:05 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
The rotation is short two starters. Nathan Eovaldi is on the 15-day injured list with right posterior elbow inflammation after 22 starts and a 4.21 ERA. Jack Leiter is on the 60-day injured list after going 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA over 15 starts.
Jacob Latz has 28 saves and a 1.63 ERA at the back of the bullpen. Tyler Alexander has made a career-high 63 appearances with a 3.26 ERA.
The 2023 Miami Marlins Comparison
Miami’s 2023 club won its first 12 one-run decisions, a major league record, and became the first team since the 2009 Minnesota Twins to sit below .500 at least 133 games into a season and still reach the postseason. The Marlins were 66-67 on Aug. 30 before the September run.
Schumaker won two World Series titles as a player with St. Louis. The Rangers’ roster includes Corey Seager, who was Most Valuable Player of the 2023 World Series when Texas beat Arizona in five games.
Friday’s loss ended a 10-game Tampa Bay losing streak at Globe Life Field. MacKenzie Gore (8-10, 4.31) is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale.
