Dream of being .500 at the break was shattered earlier than expected.

Before this series I said we needed to go 12-7 for the rest of the month. Now we need to go 10-6. Just win the series vs Houston and we will be in good shape. Also have 4 games against the CWS this month.

Marcus gets the start!

Simmy gets the start! #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/NYeL2sUj4S

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 11, 2024

Need 2 wins. 3 would be sweet. Get it done. Sick of losing to these guys in the regular season so much.

DallasAg 94 said:

---

I think our series this week with Houston should be a good indicator:

@Hou
Heaney: 17GS, 3.80 v Brown: 17GS, 4.48 <-7:10
Eovaldi: 15GS, 3.10 v Arrighetti: 16GS, 5.96 <-3:10
TBD v Blanco: 17GS, 2.53 <- 1:10

We'll miss Valdez (15GS, 3.84), but that is really all they have, right now. Verlander will return at some point.

They'll miss Lorenzen: 15GS, 3.21 and Scherzer: 4GS, 3.09

And behind them we have Urena who is healthy.

---

Updated.

If we don't win the Eovaldi v Arrighetti matchup, I think we're in trouble.

I think we'll see tonight if Bochy treats this as a playoff series or still just putting people in places to see how they respond. I think Espada will look at this as "slaying the dragon."

Now is the time, IMO.

Heaney has been pitching really well lately. However, the Astros seem to see him well. Several in their line up have had his number.

Proposition Joe said:

---

3 of 3 and I'll feel real good going forward.

2 of 3 and I'll feel content with where we stand. Still in the hunt if the right guys get healthy and hot.

1 of 3 and we have to win 5 of 7 or better in the first homestand out of the ASB to stay alive.

0 of 3 and it's time to sell what we can.

---

Orioles at home right after ASB. These next 6 will decide a lot.

DallasAg 94 said:

---

DallasAg 94 said:

---

I think our series this week with Houston should be a good indicator:

@Hou
Heaney: 17GS, 3.80 v Brown: 17GS, 4.48 <-7:10
Eovaldi: 15GS, 3.10 v Arrighetti: 16GS, 5.96 <-3:10
TBD v Blanco: 17GS, 2.53 <- 1:10

We'll miss Valdez (15GS, 3.84), but that is really all they have, right now. Verlander will return at some point.

They'll miss Lorenzen: 15GS, 3.21 and Scherzer: 4GS, 3.09

And behind them we have Urena who is healthy.

---

Updated.

If we don't win the Eovaldi v Arrighetti matchup, I think we're in trouble.

I think we'll see tonight if Bochy treats this as a playoff series or still just putting people in places to see how they respond. I think Espada will look at this as "slaying the dragon."

Now is the time, IMO.

---

What's the status of the Astros stars?

I know Tucker and Verlander won't be back until after the ASB. Altuve backed out of the all star game, so he's probably not 100%. Yordan was supposedly hurt a few days ago.

For those that didn't listen to the Brad Alberts (Dallas Stars CEO) interview on the Hardline yesterday, he had some interesting comments on their new Victory+ (the new free-to-stream app for Stars games).

He said they can't name franchises but they are set up and in discussions with other teams to incorporate other teams streaming rights should Bally Sports Southwest fold. In fact, he said their business model depends on it.

Legal Custodian said:

---

For those that didn't listen to the Brad Alberts (Dallas Stars CEO) interview on the Hardline yesterday, he had some interesting comments on their new Victory+ (the new free-to-stream app for Stars games).

He said they can't name franchises but they are set up and in discussions with other teams to incorporate other teams streaming rights should Bally Sports Southwest fold. In fact, he said their business model depends on it.

---

Part of my comments in the past couple days included, if the Rangers are in July 2024 without a path for 2025, then they're in real trouble.

Part of that was whether or not the Rangers have a process in place to either join that one or another. I was under the impression MLB was going to gather all of the media rights for their own MLB Streaming.

In digging, one thing that I hadn't realized was that with the restructure of the Minor League system, DiamondBaseballHoldings has been gobbling up Minor League Baseball teams, including DownEast and Hickory.

Manfred hired Peter Freund to reorganize MiLB and then Freund created DBHs and is in the process of buying all of the MiLB teams to put them under one label... in conjunction with MLB. I was under the impression that the MiLB teams were going to end up being bought by the parent MLB, similar to Nolan Ryan owning a minor league team.

There is a collusion aspect of that which concerns me.

The Fan just did a segment.

The guy who runs A Parent Media Corp (APMC ; Parent to Victory+) is friends with Stars President/CEO Brad Alberts.

The platform was for kids streaming media they indicated that streaming subscriptions had saturated the market by 2018 and that people were just not willing to continue to add more. So, this is a free service... with commercials, similar to OTA (Over the Air, the way you used to get TV).

Apparently the Stars have been hit hard with media revenue because they are 4th in the DFW market behind the Cowboys, Rangers, and Mavericks. So, they were getting dropped to the level of MLS.

They hit on a couple things I hadn't thought about, which is why I'm posting. Through subscription, your media becomes exclusive and entrance for new fans becomes difficult.

For us hardcore long-term Rangers fans, we'll seek out and get our fix. Some of you have a subscription. But, if you weren't raised to watch baseball, you really don't have access to the local team.

So, this Free service not only brings in access for new fans, the Ad revenue has the ability to catch revenue.

....or did someone forget to tell me something.....

Altuve in the lineup? I thought he needed to rest his sore hand.

Baseball gods on first AB. Marcus should've walked. Then ends up at first anyways.

Langford with a hard hit ball..yes it was caught but hopefully he can keep doing that!

Sit down Bregman. Ball was clearly in the zone

Bregman trying to take the travel ball walk. What is he doing.

bmac_aggie18 said:

---

Langford with a hard hit ball..yes it was caught but hopefully he can keep doing that!

---

Seems like he's had a ton of those this year. Don't think his actual numbers do him justice.

Coppell97 said:

---

Bregman trying to take the travel ball walk. What is he doing.

---

Those are things of beauty to watch, wish it happened more often

Heaney dealing so far. Appreciate the last call blue!

2 GDPs in the first 3 innings…

Double play killing us

Seager is usually great, but he's killing us so far

Great with the bat, but not defensively. I'll die on the hill of Josh smith for SS, Seager DH when Jung gets back.

Holy balls Seager…

3 Astros baserunners and one run home without the ball leaving the infield…

gigem1223 said:

---

Great with the bat, but not defensively. I'll die on the hill of Josh smith for SS, Seager DH when Jung gets back.

---

Your timing is impeccable

Great inning from Seager. 2 errors and a gidp.

gigem1223 said:

---

Great inning from Seager. 2 errors and a gidp.

---

Worst game I have ever seen from him